Real Madrid Began Mourinho’s Return with a 90th-Minute…

Real Madrid Began Mourinho’s Return with a 90th-Minute Victory

23.08.2026 07:01 HotInfo

Real Madrid opened the new La Liga season with a 2:1 victory away at Espanyol, as young forward Carlos Espí decided the triumph in the first competitive match after coach José Mourinho’s return in the 90th minute. According to available information, the Madrid team was still searching for cohesion among its stars during the match, but ultimately took three points from the pitch in Cornellà de Llobregat. El Pais ↗

Before the start of the season, Mourinho emphasized that Real must function as a team and that defensive commitment applies to the entire eleven. In preparations for the league opener, he also praised Kylian Mbappé, whom he commended for both his talent and his attitude. It was Mbappé who was described as an important player for the Madrid side in the narrow victory. Der Standard ↗

After the match, attention also shifted to Vinícius Júnior. Mourinho defended him after another controversial night against Espanyol and said that the treatment of the Brazilian forward was, in his view, disproportionate. The issue followed on from tensions surrounding a previous racism case, which the Portuguese coach had commented on after returning to Madrid. SITA ↗

Mourinho’s return to Real comes after years in which he repeatedly revisited decisions from 2013. In a new documentary, he recalled that after leaving Madrid he had signed a contract with Manchester United, but ultimately decided on Chelsea. For now, however, his second spell in Madrid has begun successfully in terms of results, and the next matches will show whether Real can find a stable balance between a star-studded attack and team discipline. zurnal.pravda.sk ↗

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