Real Madrid started their 2026-2027 La Liga campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol, decided by a 90th-minute goal from new signing Carlos Espi. The match, Jose Mourinho's official debut in his second tenure as Real's coach, highlighted both the team's attacking potential and areas needing improvement. Espi, a center forward specializing in handling the ball in the penalty area, proved to be the decisive factor. His ability to contest aerial balls, maneuver in tight spaces, and react sharply to rebounds was evident in his match-winning contribution.

Mourinho deployed an attacking-oriented formation for his return, featuring an attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Arda Guler. He also gave opportunities to three new signings: Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konate, and Denzel Dumfries. This marked the first time Real had started three new players in a La Liga season opener since 2009, when the famous trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema made their debuts.

Real adopted a style of short passes and direct attacks, focusing heavily on the right flank where Dumfries frequently overlapped with Guler. The team also pressed intensely immediately after losing possession. This approach quickly led to the opening goal in the 9th minute when Guler delivered a free-kick for Bellingham to head into the near corner, beating goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic. Mourinho leapt to his feet in celebration, clearly satisfied with his players' execution of the set-piece exactly as intended.

Carlos Espi embraces coach Jose Mourinho after scoring in Real's 2-1 victory over Espanyol in the second round of La Liga at RCDE Stadium, Cornella de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain on 22/8/2026. Photo: AP

However, after their impressive start, Real began to lose focus, partly due to Vinicius. An uncalled foul on the Brazilian forward by Calatrava early in the match angered Vinicius, leading to unnecessary arguments. Calatrava noticed this and began to push forward boldly. Real's formation also stretched, creating more space for Javi Hernandez to operate between the lines. In the 30th minute, Hernandez drove the ball to the right and passed it into the penalty area, where an unmarked Alex Calatrava fired a one-touch shot that Thibaut Courtois could not save, bringing the game back to square one.

Jude Bellingham (left) celebrates the opening goal with Kylian Mbappe. Photo: EPA

The game then became a stalemate. Silva and Federico Valverde were less involved in Real's fast, short-passing game, and Bellingham showed signs of tiring. The team primarily relied on Guler's finesse and Mbappe's bursts of speed. In the second half, Mourinho successively brought on two new signings, Marc Cucurella and Yan Diomande, a record signing worth 156 million USD. However, the "Special One's" adjustments could not immediately improve Real's attack. Diomande actively tried to make an impact with bursts of speed and direct dribbling, but lacked the sharpness to make a difference.

Carlos Espi scores the winning goal to make it 2-1. Photo: AS

The turning point came only when Espi replaced Bellingham in the 80th minute. In less than 10 minutes on the field, the Spanish forward made a difference and secured three points for Real. Mbappe burst into the penalty area but pushed the ball slightly too far under pressure from two Espanyol players. Espi immediately seized the opportunity, pushed the ball past goalkeeper Dmitrovic, and then shot into the empty net, securing the 2-1 victory.

Espi made a strong impression at Levante last season and was recruited by Real for less than 30 million USD. The 21-year-old forward was perhaps the least noticed name among the new signings arriving at the Bernabeu this summer. However, he emerged as the hero who helped Real get a favorable start under Mourinho, though the team still has much to improve.

Hong Duy