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Jose Mourinho began his second spell as Real Madrid manager with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol. The Portuguese coach saw his side take the lead early before being pegged back by the hosts.
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Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the ninth minute. The England midfielder headed home from Arda Guler’s free-kick to give Madrid an early advantage.
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Carlos Espi became the match-winner after scoring in the 90th minute.
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The substitute found the net after a late attacking move involving Yan Diomande and Kylian Mbappe.
August 23, (THEWILL) — Jose Mourinho began his second spell as Real Madrid manager with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol after Carlos Espi scored a late winner at the RCDE Stadium.
Madrid started strongly and took the lead after only nine minutes. Arda Guler’s free-kick was met by Jude Bellingham, who rose above the Espanyol defence to head the ball into the net.
The hosts responded to the early setback and gradually grew into the game. Their pressure paid off in the 30th minute when Cala finished Javi Hernandez’s cut-back at the far post to bring the score level.
Real Madrid continued to look dangerous after the restart and created several chances to regain their advantage.
Bellingham came close to scoring his second of the evening when his header was pushed onto the crossbar by Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic.
Federico Valverde also went close when his curling attempt struck the base of the post, leaving Madrid frustrated as the game remained level.
Mourinho responded by making changes from the bench, introducing several of Real Madrid’s summer signings as he looked for a breakthrough.
Carlos Espi, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande and Trent Alexander-Arnold were among the players brought into the match.
The changes eventually produced the result Mourinho wanted.
In the 90th minute, Diomande helped create the opening before Kylian Mbappe became involved in the move. The ball eventually fell to Espi, who kept his composure to finish and put Real Madrid ahead for the second time.
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Espanyol were unable to find another response as Madrid held on during the remaining minutes to claim victory.
The result provides Mourinho with an ideal beginning to his second stint at the Bernabeu.
The 63-year-old returned to Real Madrid in July on a three-year contract, more than a decade after his first spell at the club ended.
Mourinho previously guided Madrid to three major trophies, including the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
Real Madrid have gone without a major trophy in their past two seasons, increasing the pressure on Mourinho to deliver success during his latest spell.
For now, the Portuguese manager can take encouragement from a winning opening night, with Espi’s late strike giving Madrid three valuable points to begin the new campaign.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
