Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid as manager began with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol in their La Liga season opener. The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute when substitute Carlos Espi, the lowest-profile of the club’s summer signings, capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area to secure the win.
Jude Bellingham had initially put the visitors ahead by heading in a dangerous free-kick delivered by Arda Guler. Mourinho, back at the helm 13 years after his previous departure, is tasked with stabilizing a dressing room that struggled with inconsistency last season and challenging Barcelona for domestic supremacy.
The match saw several high-profile debuts, with Mourinho fielding Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate. Despite the star-studded lineup, Espanyol remained competitive. Thibaut Courtois was forced into action midway through the first half to deny a drive from Clemens Riedel, while Roberto Fernandez narrowly missed the target shortly after.
Espanyol eventually equalized in the 30th minute through Alex Calatrava, who converted a cut-back from Javi Hernandez following a well-executed team move. Madrid struggled to regain their rhythm, with Kylian Mbappe denied by a save from Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic after breaking into the right side of the area.
As the match progressed, Mourinho introduced record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella to inject fresh energy. Federico Valverde came close to breaking the deadlock, striking the outside of the post with a low effort from the edge of the box before Espi ultimately found the winner in the dying moments.
In other La Liga action held earlier, 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 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 but the subsequent two were disappointing. The report also notes that mourinho installed him in attacking midfield with licence to roam and the former Birmingham man was heavily involved before his goal as Madrid probed. The report also notes that the French forward, La Liga’s top scorer in both of his two seasons at the club, was not at his lethal best in front of goal. The report also notes that earlier, Sevilla won 3-1 at Athletic Bilbao and Valencia and Celta Vigo drew 0-0.
Comments