Real Madrid Begin Mourinho’s Second Era with a Dramatic Win as Espí Strikes Late Against Espanyol
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Real Madrid opened their 2026/27 campaign with a hard-fought and dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, giving José Mourinho a winning start to his second spell in charge of the club.
It was far from a perfect performance. Madrid controlled large parts of the match and created plenty of chances, but they struggled to turn that dominance into goals.
In the end, however, they left Barcelona with exactly what they came for: three points, an away victory, and a successful beginning to Mourinho’s new project.
And the decisive hero was not Kylian Mbappé or Vinícius Júnior.
It was new signing Carlos Espí, who came on in the 80th minute and needed only around ten minutes to score the winning goal in the 90th minute.
Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid
| Event | Minute |
|---|---|
| Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid | 9' |
| Álex Calatrava – Espanyol | 30' |
| Carlos Espí – Real Madrid | 90' |
Real Madrid started strongly and needed only nine minutes to take the lead.
From a free kick on the left, Arda Güler delivered an excellent cross into the penalty area, where Jude Bellingham rose above the defence and headed the ball into the net.
It was Real Madrid’s first goal of the 2026/27 season.
But Madrid failed to fully capitalize on their excellent start.
As the first half progressed, Espanyol began finding spaces between Madrid’s midfield and defensive lines.
In the 30th minute, Javier Hernández played the ball into the area for Álex Calatrava, who found too much space and finished beyond Thibaut Courtois to make it 1-1.
Madrid Dominate Without Finding the Finish
The numbers underline Real Madrid’s overall superiority.
| Statistic | Espanyol | Real Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 37% | 63% |
| Shots | 9 | 20 |
| Corners | 0 | 8 |
| Attacks | 68 | 112 |
| Dangerous attacks | 36 | 66 |
| Blocked shots | 1 | 6 |
| Fouls | 20 | 8 |
| Yellow cards | 5 | 1 |
Madrid controlled 63% of possession and attempted 20 shots compared with Espanyol’s nine.
They also won eight corners while Espanyol did not register a single one.
The problem was not reaching dangerous areas.
The problem was turning pressure into goals.
That will likely be one of Mourinho’s main concerns after his first competitive game back in charge.
Bellingham Starts the Season His Way
Once again, Jude Bellingham delivered when Real Madrid needed him.
His goal against Espanyol was not only Madrid’s first of the new season.
It was also Bellingham’s eighth headed goal for Real Madrid, seven of which have come in LaLiga.
The England international also became the only player to score a headed goal in LaLiga in each of the last four seasons.
Bellingham nearly scored again in the second half, but Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović produced an important save.
Arda Güler Provides Madrid’s Creative Spark
While the victory was ultimately the most important outcome, Arda Güler’s performance was one of Madrid’s strongest individual positives.
The Turkish midfielder created Bellingham’s opening goal and consistently provided creativity from midfield and set pieces.
Güler finished the match with seven key passes, making him one of Real Madrid’s principal creative outlets.
His movement and positional exchanges with Bellingham gave Madrid’s midfield greater fluidity, particularly during the first half.
If he maintains this level, Güler could become an important part of Mourinho’s plans this season.
Mbappé Takes 10 Shots but Fails to Score
Kylian Mbappé’s performance was a good example of the difference between danger and efficiency.
The French forward attempted 10 shots, but only three were on target.
His expected goals figure reached approximately 1.74 xG, a very high total for one player in a single match, yet he finished without a goal.
Mbappé missed several promising opportunities and still appeared to be searching for full rhythm following his late return from the summer break.
Vinícius Júnior also struggled to produce his best football.
He lost possession 15 times and completed only three of his seven attempted dribbles.
Yet Mbappé still played an important role in the decisive moment.
His drive into the penalty area in the 90th minute caused confusion in Espanyol’s defence before the ball eventually fell to Carlos Espí.
Espí did the rest.
Carlos Espí: Ten Minutes to Become the First Hero of the Season
Before kickoff, most of the attention was focused on Mbappé, Vinícius, Bellingham and Madrid’s major summer signings.
After the final whistle, the name everyone was talking about was:
Carlos Espí.
Mourinho introduced him in the 80th minute in place of Bellingham, looking to add a natural striker inside the penalty area.
Around ten minutes later, the decision paid off.
Madrid attacked again, Mbappé created chaos inside the box, Espanyol failed to clear properly, and Espí reacted quickest.
One finish.
One winning goal.
His first official goal for Real Madrid.
And his first major LaLiga moment in a white shirt.
Interestingly, Espí needed roughly the same amount of time as Endrick had needed to score on his Real Madrid debut in 2024: 10 minutes.
Espí’s performance could also provide Mourinho with an important tactical alternative.
Madrid have plenty of players capable of operating between the lines or from wide areas, but a physical, natural centre-forward gives them another option when opponents defend deep.
That was exactly what they needed against Espanyol.
Valverde Denied by the Post
Madrid came extremely close to scoring before Espí’s winner.
In the 78th minute, Federico Valverde found space inside the penalty area and struck first time, only to see his effort hit the post.
The opportunity came during a sustained period of Madrid pressure, shortly after Dmitrović had also denied Bellingham.
Espanyol increasingly dropped deeper during the final stages, while Mourinho pushed more players into attacking positions.
That was when Madrid’s bench made the difference.
Mourinho’s Substitutions Change the Match
Mourinho made five substitutions during the second half.
Marc Cucurella and Yan Diomande entered in the 64th minute, while Eduardo Camavinga, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Carlos Espí were introduced in the 80th.
Not every substitute had the same level of impact, but the most important change was obvious.
Espí gave Madrid a direct presence inside the penalty area.
And he scored the winning goal.
After the match, Mourinho praised the hunger shown by the players coming from the bench, emphasizing the team’s resilience and willingness to keep fighting until the final minute.
Strong Competitive Debut for Ibrahima Konaté
Among Madrid’s new signings, Ibrahima Konaté produced an impressive performance in central defence.
The Frenchman recorded 89 touches, the highest number of any player in the match, and completed 97% of his passes from 75 attempts.
He also contributed nine defensive actions.
Konaté formed a promising partnership with Dean Huijsen and helped provide the defensive platform Madrid needed to control large areas of the pitch.
Outside Espanyol’s equalizer and a handful of dangerous moments, Courtois was not seriously tested for long periods.
18 Consecutive League Openers Without Defeat
One of the major statistics before kickoff was Real Madrid’s extraordinary record in their first league game of each season.
Madrid had not lost their opening league fixture since 2008.
That streak is now even longer.
Their last opening-day LaLiga defeat came against Deportivo La Coruña, who beat Madrid 2-1 in August 2008.
Following the victory against Espanyol, Real Madrid have now gone 18 consecutive league-opening matches without defeat.
It is a remarkable record of consistency across different managers, squads and generations.
Mourinho Remains Unbeaten Against Espanyol
The match also extended an impressive personal record for José Mourinho.
Mourinho has now faced Espanyol seven times as Real Madrid manager and has never lost.
His first four meetings between 2010 and 2012 ended in Madrid victories without conceding.
Two draws followed during the 2012/13 season.
Thirteen years later, Mourinho returned to the fixture and added another victory.
7 matches
5 wins
2 draws
0 defeats
More importantly, Mourinho’s second spell at Real Madrid has begun with three points.
Six Players Begin Their Official Real Madrid Careers
The match also marked the beginning of a new chapter for several of Madrid’s summer arrivals.
Six players made their official Real Madrid debuts, either as starters or substitutes.
Espí obviously delivered the biggest impact with his late winning goal.
Konaté impressed defensively, while Denzel Dumfries showed encouraging signs, particularly with his defensive work and immediate pressing after possession was lost.
The number of debutants alone demonstrates just how significant Madrid’s summer rebuild has been.
Vinícius Tension Returns Early
The match also included an early flashpoint involving Vinícius Júnior.
The Brazilian was caught by a heavy challenge from behind by Calatrava during the opening stages, prompting protests from Real Madrid players.
No punishment beyond the referee’s initial decision followed.
The pair then became involved in another confrontation and both received yellow cards in the 32nd minute.
After the match, Mourinho spoke at length about the treatment Vinícius receives from opposition players and supporters.
At the same time, he stressed the need for the Brazilian to remain calm and control his reactions.
It is an issue Mourinho may have to manage carefully throughout the season.
What Did We Learn About Mourinho’s New Real Madrid?
It would be premature to judge an entire project after 90 minutes.
But the first competitive match did provide some clues.
Real Madrid appeared more direct during certain phases of play, while set pieces and physical presence inside the penalty area seem likely to become important components of Mourinho’s approach.
Bellingham’s aerial threat, Espí’s presence as a natural striker and Konaté’s physicality in defence give Madrid different options compared with last season.
However, there is still considerable work to do in the final third.
Producing 20 shots and controlling 63% of possession while requiring a 90th-minute goal to win suggests that Madrid created enough pressure but lacked efficiency.
Mbappé and Vinícius in particular are still some distance from their best level.
That should improve with rhythm and match fitness.
Key Numbers From the Match
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 2-1 | Real Madrid’s victory over Espanyol |
| 63% | Real Madrid possession |
| 20 | Madrid shots |
| 8-0 | Corners in Madrid’s favour |
| 10 | Mbappé shots |
| 1.74 | Mbappé expected goals |
| 7 | Key passes by Arda Güler |
| 89 | Konaté touches |
| 97% | Konaté passing accuracy |
| 10 minutes | Approximate time Espí needed to score after entering |
| 8 | Bellingham headed goals for Real Madrid |
| 18 | Consecutive league openers without defeat |
| 7 | Mourinho matches against Espanyol without defeat |
The Result Matters More Than the Performance — For Now
If Mourinho wanted the perfect result from his first competitive match back, he got it.
If he wanted the perfect performance, there is still plenty of work ahead.
Real Madrid controlled the match, created chances, kept pushing until the end and showed that their bench can change games.
At the same time, the team wasted opportunities, allowed Espanyol back into the contest and did not get the best out of Mbappé or Vinícius.
But long league campaigns are not always decided by spectacular performances.
Sometimes championships are built on the points collected on nights when a team is not at its best.
That is exactly what Real Madrid did in Barcelona.
Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid.
Three points from the first match.
The historic streak extends to 18 consecutive league openers without defeat.
Mourinho returns with a victory.
And among all the superstars and expensive signings, the first unexpected hero of Real Madrid’s new season has already emerged:
Carlos Espí.
Sources
- Reuters
- LaLiga
- Europa Press
- Managing Madrid