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Jose Mourinho: VAR would have ruled out goal, sent Super Cup to extra time

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said a video review would have ruled out Real Madrid's opening goal and led to extra time in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.

United fell 2-1 after goals from Casemiro and Isco spotted Madrid a two-goal advantage before Romelu Lukaku got a goal back with his first competitive goal for his new club.

But Mourinho took issue with Casemiro's opener, saying that had a video assistant referee (VAR) been available for the game in Skopje, Macedonia, the result would have been different with the Brazilian's goal ruled out for offside.

"I think we did well, I think we lost to one goal which shows the result was really short and one of their goals was an offside," Mourinho told BT Sport. "With a good VAR system it would be 1-1 and extra-time."

However, Mourinho admitted Madrid were the "superior" team in his postmatch news conference.

"The domination is the consequence of quality of a team that is superior, that has great quality players in midfield that control the game, that hold the ball, that keep possession," he said. "They touch the ball well, they pass it very well. It is a consequence of that."

Mourinho also took a dig at the officials, saying they allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to influence the end of the game after he came on as an 83rd-minute substitute.

"We were playing a team full of fantastic players, we discussed the result until almost the end," Mourinho told BT. "I say almost the end because with Cristiano Ronaldo coming on, because every time Ronaldo wanted a free kick the game was stopped."

Mourinho became the first manager to lose three UEFA Super Cups, after also coming up short with Porto in 2003 and Chelsea in 2013.

Before eventually finding the net, Lukaku had a disappointing miss when it looked easier to score from a rebound, but Mourinho attempted to focus on the positives.

"I am happy with the performance or many things of the performance," he said. "We don't have in the Premier League Real Madrid. In spite we have top teams in the Premier League, but they are different teams -- teams with different qualities.

"The midfield players of Real Madrid there are only one, there are no replicas. "No replicas of [Luka] Modric, Toni Kroos, Isco, no replicas of Casimero, so they are really solid and the way they move the ball makes it difficult for the opponents.

"In the second half we found a way to create them difficulties and to give them the kind of football they don't like and don't dominate.

"I am really happy with our reaction because at 2-0, the next minute we have a double big chance with just Navas in front. And after the 2-1, we had Marcus Rashford face-to-face with the keeper and we had a fight until the last seconds and to do that I think is great because I always say that the Champions League is one thing and the Europa League is another thing.

"The Champions League winner obviously has a different potential than the Europa League winner, so for us to come here and to do the positive things we did, I think we have to go with a good feeling and we have to start the Premier League on Sunday with a positive feeling and great experience.

"And going to the Champions League in September, who knows? If we get Real Madrid again, if we don't we could get another of the top teams in Europe -- one of the champions of the best leagues -- and I think this Super Cup was a really good experience for us."

The Portuguese made one supporter's day in particular, giving them the runners-up medal he had just received.

"Look, sometimes when I win I don't keep the medals so imagine when I lose?" he said to laughter in the conference. "For me, the medal would go to some place in my house and for that kid it is the moon.

"For that kid, it is for sure something that he is going to keep and to remember. It was a little kid with a Man United shirt -- I have no idea where he comes from. I think for the kid it is something he will never forget.

"For me, medals -- I repeat -- when I win, they don't mean much. Imagine when I lose."

One positive for Mourinho was the performance of Nemanja Matic, who managed 90 minutes despite training alone at Chelsea for most of the summer.

The Serbian, a £35 million signing from Stamford Bridge, only joined up with his new teammates last week and got 45 minutes against Sampdoria in Dublin on Wednesday.

"I think he played really well," said Mourinho. "I think in the moments where they were moving more the ball, of course it was difficult for us in the midfield.

"But in good moments he was really good and especially in our dominance in the second half after the 2-0.

"In our period of dominance he was what we want him to be: to move the ball in a simple way, to give balance to the team, to start building from the back.

"He is a player with great experience, many years at the highest level and good experience, good stability."

ESPN FC Manchester United correspondent Rob Dawson contributed to this story.

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