With a goal from Brazilian striker Neymar, Barcelona defeated Manchester United 1 -0 on Wednesday , handing the Red Devils the first defeat of their US Tour .
It came on the heels of a penalty shootout victory over Real Madrid after the teams drew 1 -1 in their International Champions Cup friendly match.
In terms of sheer talent, Mourinho acknowledged, Real Madrid and Barcelona have the edge .
“I think at this time, the best players are in these two clubs, ” he said . “We have to accept that as a reality . For us to play against both in a pre -season without any kind of pressure was very good for us .
“Both played with their best team — (it’ s ) very, very good for us to measure against them, ” he said, but added : “There is only one (Lionel) Messi. There is only one Neymar.
“You can work very hard tactically to try to improve your team, but there are players who are special . Even as an opponent on the bench , it’ s great to see their relationship with the ball , ” he said.
In the eyes of Mourinho, only Frenchman Paul Pogba in the United squad “ showed that he had this level ” .
Nevertheless, Mourinho said he departs the US confident that his team have the qualities needed to thrive in the upcoming Premier League campaign .
“We prefer to compare with the teams we play weekly in the Premier League . And we ’ re much more prepared for that very hard competition, which is a competition with a different style, with a different kind of players, ” he said.
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