Carlos Espí winner the best-case scenario for Jose Mourinho in tough Real Madrid return
Carlos Espí came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner as Real Madrid edged past a stubborn Espanyol 2-1 in José Mourinho’s first competitive match back in charge of the club, giving the Portuguese manager the perfect result even if the performance left plenty to improve.
It was anything but comfortable for Los Blancos. Jude Bellingham gave Madrid an early lead with a ninth-minute header from Arda Güler’s delivery.
Still, Espanyol responded strongly and deservedly levelled through summer signing Álex Calatrava before the half-hour mark.
From there, the spirited hosts made life increasingly difficult for Mourinho’s side, who dominated possession without consistently turning that control into clear-cut opportunities.
Carlos Espí made the difference
The relief was obvious when Carlos Espí finally settled the contest in the 90th minute. The 21-year-old, who joined Madrid from Levante this summer, had only been on the pitch for around 10 minutes before taking advantage of a loose ball in the area to register his first competitive goal for the club.
And that is precisely the kind of moment Jose Mourinho will cherish. His Madrid team had spent much of the evening searching for another decisive touch after being pegged back by Calatrava’s equalizer.
Jude Bellingham had another header brilliantly kept out by Marko Dmitrovic, while Federico Valverde struck the post. Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior also struggled to find the final touch despite remaining dangerous in attack.
In the end, it was not one of the established stars who rescued the day. It was the type of striker Mourinho wanted added to his squad — a player capable of attacking spaces, occupying defenders and turning a half-chance into a goal.
Exactly why Jose Mourinho wanted Espí
There is something significant about Carlos Espí’s introduction beyond the goal itself.
Madrid’s new manager inherited a squad overflowing with elite attacking talent, but Saturday demonstrated that having more star quality does not automatically solve every problem. Sometimes a manager needs a different profile. Espí provided that.
His arrival gave Madrid another reference point inside the penalty area and offered Mourinho an alternative when the game became increasingly congested. The Portuguese coach’s decision to turn to his summer signing ultimately paid off, with Espí making his solitary shot count when it mattered most.
It does not get much better for a manager making his return to one of the biggest jobs in world football. Mourinho’s first competitive match back at Madrid was always going to attract enormous attention.
The three points were therefore more important than producing a polished performance, particularly with several new players still adapting and some of the club’s World Cup participants only recently returning.
Jose Mourinho himself had acknowledged before the match that his squad needed more time together.
A warning despite the win
Still, the victory should not completely disguise the issues Mourinho needs to address. That was nowhere near good enough for a team that intends to challenge Barcelona’s LaLiga dominance.
Madrid enjoyed plenty of possession but left spaces for Espanyol to exploit, particularly after the intensity of their opening spell dropped. The hosts grew into the contest and repeatedly showed that the visitors could be unsettled when they lost control of transitions.
The absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni was significant in that regard. The French midfielder remains sidelined after the injury in the World Cup semi-final, although his recovery is progressing. Without a natural defensive midfielder in the starting XI, Madrid occasionally looked vulnerable despite controlling much of the ball.
That will give Mourinho plenty to work on before the next test against Real Sociedad. There were positives, though. Bellingham and Güler combined brilliantly for the opening goal, while the Englishman looked particularly sharp after scoring his 80th goal contribution for Madrid.
New arrivals such as Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva were also handed starts as Mourinho began shaping his new-look team, while Yan Diomande was very effective on the right after coming on in the second half.
Jose Mourinho enjoys the lifeline he made
Real Madrid needed a winner, and Mourinho found one. That is the biggest takeaway from a night that could easily have ended with frustration rather than celebration.
A draw would have left the returning manager answering questions about why his expensively assembled side had failed to break down Espanyol. Instead, Espí’s late intervention changed the conversation.
Relief for Mourinho, then, and a dream beginning for his new striker. The expectation, however, will be that there are fewer nights like this as the season progresses.
Real Madrid cannot continually rely on 90th-minute escapes if they are serious about reclaiming the LaLiga title and restoring themselves to the summit of Spanish football. For now, though, Mourinho will gladly take the result.
His second Real Madrid stint has started with three points, with his chosen new striker announcing himself. Jose Mourinho will take this as a positive, but will hope his superstars hit the gears sooner rather than later.
