Jose Mourinho’s second tenure as Real Madrid manager began with a dramatic 2-1 victory against Espanyol in La Liga. The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute when substitute Carlos Espi, the club’s lowest-profile summer signing, capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area to secure the win.
The match marked Mourinho’s return to the Madrid dugout after a 13-year absence. The Portuguese manager faces the significant challenge of stabilizing a dressing room that struggled with inconsistency last season, while also aiming to dismantle the domestic dominance currently held by rivals Barcelona.
Jude Bellingham, who was deployed in an attacking midfield role with freedom to roam, opened the scoring for the visitors by heading home a precise free kick from Arda Guler. Despite the early lead, the team faced pressure throughout the first half. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced into action to deny a strike from Clemens Riedel, while Roberto Fernandez narrowly missed the target shortly after.
Espanyol eventually capitalized on their momentum in the 30th minute. A well-constructed team move allowed Alex Calatrava to finish a cut-back from Javi Hernandez, leveling the score. Although Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and debuts from Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate added star power to the lineup, the visitors struggled to break the deadlock for much of the second half.
Mourinho attempted to shift the tide in the final 25 minutes by introducing new recruits Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella. While Federico Valverde came close to scoring when his low strike hit the outside of the post, it was Espi who ultimately broke the stalemate in the final moments of regulation time.
Elsewhere in La Liga action, Sevilla secured a 3-1 victory away at Athletic Bilbao, while the match between Valencia and Celta Vigo ended in a goalless draw. The report also notes that back in charge of Madrid 13 years after leaving, Portuguese veteran Mourinho must bring the dressing room under control after the chaos of last season, and end Spanish champions Barcelona’s domestic dominance. The report also notes that but the following two were disappointing, both for him and the club, who failed to win a major trophy in either, bellingham had an excellent first season at Madrid after arriving from Borussia Dortmund. The report also notes that and the former Birmingham man was heavily involved before his goal as Madrid probed, mourinho installed him in attacking midfield with a licence to roam. The report also notes that espanyol stopper Marko Dmitrovic made a good save to stop Mbappe after he got in behind on the right of the area.
