Real Madrid began their La Liga campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday, securing all three points with a late winner.
Jude Bellingham gave Madrid the lead with a headed effort from Arda Güler’s pinpoint free-kick before Espanyol levelled the contest. Carlos Espí then emerged as the match-winner, scoring just 10 minutes after coming on to make his Real Madrid debut.
The victory also marked José Mourinho’s return to the Real Madrid dugout after 13 years away.
The Portuguese manager maintained his unbeaten record against Espanyol, having won four of his previous meetings with the Catalan club and drawn two.
Kylian Mbappé was heavily involved in the attack but failed to find the net despite registering double-digit shots.
The French forward, however, provided the assist for Espí’s decisive goal.
Espí’s strike came just 10 minutes after his introduction, matching the time it took Endrick to score on his Real Madrid debut against Real Valladolid in 2024.
Bellingham’s opener was his eighth headed goal for Real Madrid, with seven of those coming in La Liga.
He has also scored a headed goal in each of the last four La Liga seasons.
New signing Ibrahima Konaté also impressed on his debut, recording 89 touches, nine defensive actions and a 97 per cent pass-completion rate from 75 passes.
The result extended Real Madrid’s impressive record in opening league matches, with their last defeat on the first day coming in a 2-1 loss to Deportivo La Coruña in 2008.
Madrid will now look to build on the winning start as they continue their pursuit of another La Liga title.
