The Special One is back! Mourinho’s mercenary tactics worked from the opening match... 'New signing' Espin scored the winning goal, giving AEspañol a thrilling 2-1 victory.

*This content was translated by AI.

Jose Mourinho (63), who took charge again for the first time in 13 years, led Real Madrid to a dramatic victory in the La Liga opener.

On the 23rd (Korea time), Real secured a 2-1 away win against AEspañol at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, in Round 1 of the 2026–2027 season.

After finishing without any titles last season, Real signed a three-year contract with Mourinho and started the campaign on a high note with an opening-day victory. Mourinho previously led the team from 2010 to 2013, achieving La Liga and Copa del Rey titles.

Real took the lead in the 9th minute of the first half when Jude Bellingham headed in a cross from Arda Güler, but they conceded an equalizer in the 30th minute to opponent Alex Calatraba, leading to a tightly contested match.

The outcome was decided by late substitute cards. In the 35th minute of the second half, Carlos Espin, a new signing from Levante who replaced Bellingham, showed sharp focus in the 45th minute. During a moment when Kylian Mbappé lost possession inside the penalty box, Espin struck the loose ball powerfully into the net. With this goal, Espin scored on his Real debut, delivering a stunning performance.

After a hard-fought first league win, Mourinho praised the determination of his bench players after the match, saying it was "a victory born from grit and the strength of the bench."

Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior fell early in the game due to Calatraba's rough play and received a yellow card during an altercation. In response, Mourinho defended his player actively, stating, "The opponent's behavior went too far. The harassment targeting Vinicius continues."

This marks a complete departure from Mourinho’s previous stance when he was Benfica manager last season, where he defended his own players who made hateful remarks toward Vinicius during the UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash against Real Madrid.

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*This content was translated by AI.