José Mourinho is officially back. Thirteen years after his departure, the "Special One" marked his return to the Real Madrid bench with a hard-fought, albeit shaky, 2-1 victory over Espanyol Barcelona. While the three points are on the board, the performance raised plenty of questions for the Spanish giants.
A Shaky Start for the "Special One"
Due to a delayed start to their La Liga campaign—caused by a high number of players participating in the World Cup—Real Madrid looked uncharacteristically rusty.
Things initially seemed on track when Jude Bellingham headed home the opener in the 9th minute, connecting with a sharp free-kick from an active Arda Güler. However, Madrid's control quickly faded. Espanyol fought back, capitalizing on defensive gaps to equalize in the 29th minute through Cala, who finished a clever cutback from Javier Hernandez.
Missed Chances and Midfield Struggles
The Galácticos' star-studded lineup struggled to find its rhythm throughout the match. Kylian Mbappé had a night to forget, failing to convert a crucial one-on-one opportunity against Espanyol goalkeeper Dmitrovic in the 38th minute.
The second half brought little improvement. Vinicius Jr. put on a lackluster performance, while the new midfield partnership of Bernardo Silva and Federico Valverde failed to connect. Though Valverde hit the post with a right-footed effort in the 78th minute, Real Madrid looked devoid of creative inspiration for long stretches.
The Tactical Masterstroke
Just when a frustrating draw seemed inevitable, Mourinho's famous tactical intuition saved the day.
In the 79th minute, Bellingham was forced off the pitch with an ankle injury. Mourinho immediately subbed on young striker Carlos Espi. Just two minutes later, the substitute showed pure striker instinct, tapping in the winning goal in "fox in the box" fashion after Mbappé had missed a prior chance.
What This Means for Madrid
This narrow escape spares Mourinho from immediate media scrutiny, but the tactical issues are obvious. With a heavily congested calendar and players still adjusting to the system after international duties, Madrid will need to find their chemistry quickly if they want to dominate La Liga this season.
