Real Madrid Begin La Liga Campaign With Hard-Fought Victory Over Espanyol
By TUW
Real Madrid opened their 2026/27 La Liga campaign on a winning note after securing a narrow 2–1 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.
The match represented a significant occasion for Real Madrid, with José Mourinho returning to the club’s dugout for his first competitive La Liga match since taking charge again. The Portuguese coach began his second spell with an away victory, although his team had to work hard for the three points.
Madrid made an early breakthrough when Jude Bellingham put the visitors ahead in the ninth minute. The England midfielder headed home from an Arda Güler free-kick, giving Real Madrid the advantage inside the opening 10 minutes.
Espanyol responded strongly and found an equaliser before the interval. Àlex Calatrava scored in the 29th minute to bring the hosts level and ensure the teams went into halftime at 1–1.
The second half remained closely contested, with Real Madrid controlling much of the play but struggling to turn their possession into a decisive advantage. Federico Valverde came close to restoring Madrid’s lead when his effort struck the post.
Just when Espanyol appeared on course to hold the visitors to a draw, Carlos Espí produced the decisive moment in stoppage time. The young forward capitalised on confusion inside the Espanyol penalty area to score the winning goal and send Real Madrid home with all three points.
The result gives Mourinho an important start to his return, while Real Madrid can take confidence from beginning the campaign with a victory despite not producing a completely convincing performance.
The match also provided competitive debuts for several of Madrid’s new additions, including Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Bernardo Silva, Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella as Mourinho begins reshaping the team for the new season.
Real Madrid will now turn their attention to their next league fixture, with Real Sociedad scheduled to visit them on August 26.
