Real Madrid Beat Espanyol 2-1 in Mourinho's Return to La Liga

Real Madrid defeated Espanyol 2-1 as Jose Mourinho is second spell began with Carlos Espí scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner after Bellingham is opener.

Real Madrid Beat Espanyol 2-1 as Mourinho Era Begins with Late Drama

Real Madrid opened their 2026-27 La Liga campaign with a nervy 2-1 win at Espanyol on Saturday night and it needed a stoppage-time strike from a debutant substitute to get there Jose Mourinho picked up his first win since returning to the Real Madrid dugout after thirteen years away. It was far from the dominant display fans expected from a squad built around Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius.
Jude Bellingham headed Real Madrid ahead in the 9th minute from an Arda Güler delivery Álex Calatrava equalised for Espanyol in the 30th minute finishing a cutback from Javi Hernández Substitute Carlos Espí scored the winner in the 90th minute, finishing a chance created by Kylian Mbappé, just ten minutes after coming on for his Real Madrid debut.It was Mourinho is first game back in charge of Real Madrid since his first spell ended in 2013.Six Real Madrid players made their debuts in the match, and Espí's goal came at almost the exact same point after coming on as Endrick's did on his own Real Madrid debut Mbappé squandered his best chance of the second half, heading wide from close range with the goal gaping. 

Mourinho is Bumpy but Winning Start

Real Madrid lost their grip on the game as the first half wore on and were made to pay when Calatrava levelled things up Even after going level, Mourinho is side struggled to find answers against a disciplined Espanyol low block, with little penetration from Federico Valverde or Bernardo Silva in midfield. Espanyol is defense, particularly Clemens Riedel produced key blocks to deny Mbappé a second-half equaliser before Espí's late intervention settled it.

Q1: What was the final score of Espanyol vs Real Madrid?
Real Madrid won 2-1, with goals from Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espí.

Q2: Who scored Real Madrid's winning goal?
Substitute Carlos Espí scored the winner in the 90th minute, just ten minutes after coming on.

Q3: Was this Jose Mourinho's first match back at Real Madrid?
Yes, this marked his return to the Real Madrid dugout after his first spell ended in 2013.

Q4: Did Kylian Mbappé score in this match?
No, Mbappé created the winning goal but missed several chances himself, including a close-range header.

Q5: Where was the match played?
At RCDE Stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat, Espanyol's home ground near Barcelona.

Conclusion

Real Madrid got the three points, but the performance raised early questions for Mourinho is second spell — a dominant squad on paper still needed a 90th-minute moment from a debutant to beat a mid-table side For fans expecting instant fireworks from Mbappé-Bellingham-Vinícius, this was a reminder that new-manager bounce doesn't always show up in the football itself.





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