Jose Mourinho marked his return to the Real Madrid dugout with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Espanyol, courtesy of a 90th-minute winner from substitute Carlos Espi in Saturday’s La Liga opener.
Espi’s 90th-Minute Strike Seals Mourinho’s Winning Return to Real Madrid
The Portuguese tactician, back at the Bernabeu 13 years after his first departure, watched his star-studded side struggle to break down a resilient Espanyol before Espi’s dramatic intervention secured all three points.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Los Blancos, heading home Arda Guler’s dangerous free-kick delivery.
The England international, operating in a free-roaming attacking midfield role under Mourinho, enjoyed a lively performance after two disappointing seasons at the club.
However, Espanyol levelled in the 30th minute when Alex Calatrava converted Javi Hernandez’s cut-back following an impressive team move.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had earlier denied Clemens Riedel, but the warning signs went unheeded.
Mourinho handed debuts to Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate, while Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham led the attack.
The French striker, La Liga’s top scorer for the past two seasons, lacked his usual clinical edge, with Espanyol stopper Marko Dmitrovic denying him after he broke in behind the defence.
With 25 minutes remaining, Mourinho introduced record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella in search of a winner.
Federico Valverde struck the outside of the post from distance as Espanyol defended deep.
But in the dying moments, former Levante striker Espi, the lowest-profile of Madrid’s summer acquisitions, capitalised on a loose ball inside the box to fire home the winner.
The victory represents an encouraging start for Mourinho, who must restore discipline following last season’s turmoil and challenge Barcelona’s domestic supremacy.
Earlier, Sevilla claimed a 3-1 win at Athletic Bilbao, while Valencia and Celta Vigo played out a goalless draw.
