Real Madrid began their 2026-27 La Liga campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, as Carlos Espí scored a late winner to give José Mourinho a winning start in his return to the Madrid dugout.
The result looked far from certain for much of the night. Jude Bellingham put Real Madrid ahead early, but Espanyol responded through Alex Calatrava before defending strongly against sustained pressure. With the match seemingly heading toward a draw, substitute Espí struck in the 90th minute to settle a thrilling contest.
Bellingham Gives Real Madrid Early Lead
Real Madrid made a fast start in Barcelona, taking the lead after only nine minutes.
Arda Güler delivered a dangerous ball into the area, and Jude Bellingham rose above the Espanyol defence to direct a header inside the near post. The early goal gave Mourinho’s side control and appeared to put them on course for a comfortable opening victory.
Espanyol, however, refused to surrender. The home side gradually grew into the match and created opportunities as Real Madrid struggled to turn their possession into a second goal.
Calatrava Brings Espanyol Level
Espanyol’s persistence was rewarded in the 30th minute.
Javi Hernandez worked his way into the penalty area before cutting the ball back toward Alex Calatrava. With space available, Calatrava finished past Thibaut Courtois to bring the hosts level.
The equaliser changed the atmosphere inside the RCDE Stadium and gave Espanyol renewed belief. Real Madrid continued to threaten, but goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic produced several important saves to keep his team in the contest.
Real Madrid Push for a Second Goal
After the break, Real Madrid increased the pressure as Mourinho made changes in an attempt to find a winning goal.
Dmitrovic denied Bellingham with a strong save from another header, while Kylian Mbappé was unable to convert the resulting opportunity. Real Madrid also threatened from set pieces and long-range efforts as Espanyol increasingly defended deep.
The visitors eventually finished with 63 percent possession, 21 shots and eight attempts on target. Their expected-goals figure of 2.92 was also significantly higher than Espanyol’s 1.12, highlighting the quality and volume of Real Madrid’s chances.
Espanyol continued to show resilience and looked capable of securing an impressive point against one of La Liga’s title contenders.
Carlos Espí Delivers Late Winner
The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute.
Carlos Espí, who had entered the match as a substitute, became the unlikely hero for Real Madrid. After Kylian Mbappé was crowded out inside the box, Espí reacted quickly to a loose ball and fired home from close range.
The goal completed a remarkable debut for the young striker and broke Espanyol’s resistance at the worst possible moment for the hosts.
Espí had joined Real Madrid from Levante during the summer after scoring 13 goals in all competitions the previous season. His late contribution immediately justified the club’s decision to bring him in as additional attacking depth behind Mbappé.
Mourinho Starts Second Madrid Spell With Victory
The victory was particularly significant for José Mourinho, who returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as head coach in June.
Thirteen years after his first stint ended, Mourinho began his latest La Liga campaign with three points. Real Madrid were not at their most clinical, but the late victory provided an important start to their title campaign.
The win also extended Real Madrid’s run to four victories across preseason and competitive matches, according to the match updates. Mourinho’s team will now turn their attention to their next league fixture against Real Sociedad.
Espanyol Show Plenty of Promise
Despite the defeat, Espanyol can take encouragement from their performance.
Manolo González’s side defended bravely, competed with Real Madrid for long periods and created enough opportunities to trouble the visitors. Espanyol had finished 11th in the previous campaign after placing 14th in 2024-25, and their performance suggested they could be capable of challenging higher up the table this season.
Their next league assignment will be away against Real Sociedad, giving them an opportunity to respond immediately after the narrow defeat.
What the Result Means
Real Madrid leave the RCDE Stadium with three valuable points, but the performance also highlighted areas Mourinho will want to improve.
The Spanish giants created enough chances to win more comfortably, yet Espanyol repeatedly found ways to remain competitive. The emergence of Espí as a potential impact substitute could nevertheless become a major positive for Madrid as the season progresses.
For Espanyol, the narrow loss does not erase an encouraging performance against one of the strongest teams in La Liga. Real Madrid had the greater attacking numbers, but the hosts demonstrated that they can make life difficult for top opposition.
In the end, the difference was a single late moment. Carlos Espí’s 90th-minute finish transformed what looked like a frustrating draw into a winning start for Real Madrid and a memorable debut for the young forward.
Final score: Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid
Goals: Jude Bellingham 9’, Alex Calatrava 30’, Carlos Espí 90’.
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