José Mourinho made his return as Real Madrid coach after 4,380 days, and it took until the 90th minute for victory to be secured. The 2-1 win at Espanyol was delivered by Carlos Espí, a 21-year-old signed from Levante, who forced the ball over the line after a scrappy move. Mourinho, who once sprinted down the touchline in celebration, this time clenched his fists and walked, pulling captain Fede Valverde aside for a quiet word.
A new era begins with a late winner
Espí, who had rescued Levante from relegation last season and still lives at Madrid's Valdebebas training ground, was signed to be an old-school No 9. His goal came after Kylian Mbappé saw the ball run away from him in the area. The win was Mourinho's first since a 4-2 victory over Osasuna in May 2013.
Before the match, photographers abandoned their positions to surround Mourinho on the bench. After it, he hugged Espanyol coach Manolo González, high-fived the referee, and ducked down the tunnel. He had warned that Espanyol were a good side, and they showed it, limiting Madrid despite the visitors having more chances.
Mourinho's humility and the president's faith
Mourinho said he is calmer now, a change from his previous spell at the club. He described his time at Benfica as “three hard, intense, sometimes violent years,” but nostalgia has left only the good. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who rarely likes coaches, has always been drawn to Mourinho. Pérez believes the club's six Champions League wins in 11 years after Mourinho's departure were made possible by him.
Mourinho revealed that Pérez called him after every trophy Madrid won. “I always said no, no, no, it was nothing to do with me,” Mourinho said. He added that the trophies belonged to Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti, not him, but the diagnosis of Madrid's ills required his surgery too. Madrid have not won a major title in two years.
Fitting the stars together
Mourinho's main task is to fit Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham together. He noted that Brazil, France, and England have found ways to get the best out of each, but combining all three is different. “I don't think they're incompatible,” he said. Bellingham started at No 10, with Vinícius tight to the touchline. Mourinho said, “For me this is his [Jude's] position: the connection with the forwards, he can score goals. He has to play close to the goal. Playing at 6 or 8 we're losing his closeness to the goal.”
Bellingham scored the opener after nine minutes, heading in a superb cross from Arda Guler after Vinícius was fouled. Mourinho barely flinched, walking along the touchline to shake hands with Sami Khedira and analyst Roberto Merella. But Espanyol equalised through Álex Calatrava, set up by Tyrhys Dolan and Javi Hernández. Thibaut Courtois saved from Riedel, and Roberto Fernández could not keep down the follow-up.
Late drama and a reprieve
Mbappé twice forced saves from Marko Dimitrovic, but Espanyol should have led at the break. Omar El Hilali's cross found Dolan, who could not reach it, and Fernández headed straight at his own feet. After the break, Bellingham headed against the bar, and Mbappé somehow shot wide from close range. Valverde hit the post, and Mbappé shot wide again.
Mourinho turned to his substitutes—Yan Diomande, Camavinga, Alexander-Arnold, Espí—until Espí scored the winner. “I think we deserved to win, but Espanyol didn't deserve to lose,” Mourinho said, ending the night with a touch of humility.
