Madrid wins 2-1 against Espanyol in Mourinho's return match

Jose Mourinho's second time as coach of Real Madrid kicked off with a dramatic 2-1 win at Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday. Carlos Espi, who came off the bench, scored the winner in the 90th minute.

Jude Bellingham started the scoring in Los Blancos’ first game of the season. Espi grabbed the win after Alex Calatrava had equalized for Espanyol against Mourinho’s star-studded side.

Mourinho returned to Madrid after 13 years away. He needs to regain control of the dressing room after a chaotic last season and put an end to Barcelona’s dominance in Spain.

Mourinho began the match with stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham. He also gave debuts to new players Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate.

Bellingham had a great first season at Madrid after moving from Borussia Dortmund. However, his next two seasons were not as successful, and the club did not win any major trophies during that time.

Mourinho placed him in an attacking midfield role, allowing him to move freely. Bellingham was heavily involved in the game before scoring, as Madrid pushed forward.

He scored the first goal of Mourinho’s second spell at the club, heading in a dangerous free-kick from Arda Guler.

Espanyol posed a threat midway through the first half. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved a shot from Clemens Riedel, and soon after, Roberto Fernandez sent a shot over the bar.

Madrid did not take the warning seriously. In the 30th minute, Espanyol equalized. Calatrava scored from a cut-back by Javi Hernandez after a slick team play.

Marko Dmitrovic, the Espanyol goalkeeper, made a solid save to deny Mbappe after he broke free on the right side of the area.

The French striker, who was the top scorer in La Liga for the last two seasons, did not look sharp in front of goal this time.

Mourinho brought on two more new players, record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella, as Madrid chased a winner in the last 25 minutes of the game.

Federico Valverde nearly scored, hitting the outside of the post with a low shot from the edge of the box, while Espanyol defended well to limit Madrid's chances.

In the 90th minute, Madrid finally found the goal they needed. Espi, the least known of Madrid’s summer signings, reacted quickly to a loose ball in the box and fired it home.