Real Madrid began Jose Mourinho’s return to La Liga with a dramatic 2-1 victory at RCD Espanyol, secured by substitute Carlos Espi’s late goal as the match moved into stoppage time.
Espanyol had started their campaign with a 3-0 home win over Levante and carried that confidence into the opening stages at the RCDE Stadium. Manolo Gonzalez’s team pressed aggressively from the outset, closing down Real Madrid quickly and limiting the space available to the visitors.
Real Madrid weathered that early pressure and took the lead with their first attacking free-kick in the ninth minute.
Arda Guler delivered a dangerous cross from the left into a crowded penalty area, where Jude Bellingham rose above the defenders to direct a header beyond Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic.
The goal settled Real Madrid and they began to impose themselves on the match. Kylian Mbappe was prominent in their attacking play, but the visitors were repeatedly denied by Dmitrovic, who kept Espanyol in the contest.
The home side eventually found an equaliser shortly before the half-hour mark, with Alex Calatrava finishing to make it 1-1.
Real Madrid continued to control possession after the interval and worked patiently to create further openings. Their build-up play often threatened to unlock the Espanyol defence, but the final finish was repeatedly lacking.
Whenever Real Madrid did manage to place an effort on target, Dmitrovic was in position to make the save. The goalkeeper’s performance appeared to have earned Espanyol a valuable point as the game entered its closing stages.
Mourinho was also forced to contend with a fitness concern involving Bellingham. The influential midfielder was limping heavily after twisting his ankle on a divot, and the Real Madrid manager responded by making a series of substitutions.
One of those changes proved decisive. Twenty-one-year-old Espi was in the right place to finish in the 90th minute after Espanyol’s defence had crowded out Mbappe as the France forward attempted to make progress towards goal.
The late strike gave Real Madrid all three points and ensured their La Liga campaign began with a win away from home. It also gave Mourinho a typically dramatic start to his return to Spanish league football.
Espanyol had shown enough energy and organisation to trouble the visitors, particularly during the opening exchanges and after Calatrava’s equaliser. However, Real Madrid’s sustained pressure and late intervention from Espi ultimately separated the sides.
For Mourinho, the result provided an immediate reward on his return to a competition in which Real Madrid began the evening facing a lively Espanyol side already buoyed by a convincing opening-day victory over Levante.
