Real Madrid Stars Deliver Thrilling Late Drama to Launch the Mourinho Revolution Against Espanyol

Real Madrid snatched all three points from Espanyol on Saturday evening, claiming a dramatic 2–1 victory in the final moments to launch their 2026–27 La Liga season.

The 15-time European champions made a perfect start, breaking the deadlock in the ninth minute through a set piece masterclass. Arda Güler delivered a stunning delivery that Jude Bellingham converted with a header, putting the away side ahead 1–0 inside the opening ten minutes.

Los Blancos gradually surrendered control as the first half wore on and were punished when Álex Calatrava slotted an equalizer past Thibaut Courtois on the half-hour mark. The draw should have galvanized José Mourinho's side, but they instead went flat, offering no real solutions even after what must have been a fiery team talk at the break.

Real Madrid appeared set to depart Catalonia with just a single point, but new arrival Carlos Espí stepped up in the 90th minute, converting a well-crafted move from Kylian Mbappé to fire in the decisive winner.

It was far from a convincing performance from the Spanish heavyweights, but they at least launched Mourinho's second spell in charge with a full haul of points.

The Problem That Won't Go Away

It's a fresh season, yet the same familiar issues continue to plague Real Madrid. As has been the case so often over the past two campaigns, the 15-time European champions struggled to break down a well-organized low block from a lesser Spanish side.

Vinícius Júnior resorted to his predictable antics down the left side and was comfortably contained by the Espanyol backline. Mbappé wasted the clearest opportunity of the second half, heading wide with the goal at his mercy.

There was minimal penetration or incisive passing from Federico Valverde or Bernardo Silva. One player after another floated in aimless crosses as the minutes slipped away.

The pressure grew for Mbappé or Vinícius Jr to conjure something special and rescue yet another uninspiring Real Madrid display. Yet the two forwards never appeared to be on the same wavelength, ultimately relying on Espí to save them—and the entire team—in the closing moments.

Real Madrid supporters will take the three points, but the win was completely overshadowed by the glaring warning signs that echoed throughout Catalonia. There remains a great deal of work ahead before this squad looks ready to unseat Barcelona at the top.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Espanyol (4-3-2-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—6.7: Barely tested throughout. Once again let down by his defenders on Espanyol's equalizer.

RB: Denzel Dumfries—7.2: Required Konaté to cover for him after venturing too far forward on several occasions. Was exposed down his flank in the buildup to Espanyol's goal. Found decent positions in the attacking third but lacked a final product.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.7: An impressive debut. Used his physicality to muscle opponents off the ball and his aerial presence to make crucial clearances. Looked slightly uncertain with his positioning inside the penalty area at times.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.1: Demonstrated his range of passing, completing five balls into the final third. Dependable defensively and showed real commitment throughout.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.4: Avoided any costly errors, which counts as a success given how his previous season unfolded. Linked up effectively with the midfield.

DM: Bernardo Silva—7.1: Tidy on the ball with impressive spells dictating the game's rhythm, but too inconsistent to make a significant impact. Won just two of his nine individual duels.

DM: Federico Valverde—8.1: Caught completely ball-watching for Calatrava's goal, allowing the midfielder to drift into the box unchallenged while he stood motionless shouting instructions. Had a promising effort denied by the outside of the right post.

RW: Arda Güler—8.5: Provided the assist for the opening goal with a superb set-piece delivery. Consistently looked up to create whenever he received the ball in space. Clearly the most creative player on the field and did not deserve to be substituted just after the hour mark.

AM: Jude Bellingham—8.3: Picked up right where he left off during the summer with England. Scored the first goal of the Mourinho era and made numerous threatening forward runs, showcasing his technical quality throughout.

LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.2: Took plenty of punishment all evening, though went to ground too easily on occasions. Failed to influence the game positively and finished the match with zero chances created and zero shots on target.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—7.4: Drifted out to the right wing in frustration during the first half, where he fashioned a few half-chances without converting. Inexplicably headed wide after the restart but redeemed himself by creating the space that led to the winning goal.

SUB: Yan Diomande (64' for Güler)—6.4: Delivered some useful balls and initiated the sequence that produced Espí's winner. Took one too many touches inside the box on occasion.

SUB: Marc Cucurella (64' for Carreras)—6.7: Still shaking off some World Cup rust, but performed adequately. Needs to build an understanding with Vinícius Jr.

SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (80' for Dumfries)—6.3: A competent cameo with little to show for his efforts.

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (80' for Silva)—6.4: Did not give the ball away once.

SUB: Carlos Espí (80' for Bellingham)—7.5: Played the hero for Real Madrid by netting the match-winner on his debut.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Antonio Rüdiger, Mario Rivas, Jorge Cestero, Alexis Ciria, Brahim Díaz.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid's Opening Win