Event
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Espanyol in La Liga, marking the first match of Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a header, but Alex Calatrava equalised for Espanyol in the 30th minute. Substitute Carlos Espi scored the winning goal in the 90th minute to secure the points for Madrid.
2 published stories · real-madrid · source reliability 67%
A 90th-minute strike by substitute Carlos Espi secured a 2-1 win for the reigning champions, ending a turbulent season with a cautious start to José Mourinho’s second spell.
Background
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Espanyol in La Liga, marking the first match of José Mourinho’s second spell in charge of the club. The win came 13 years after Mourinho’s previous departure from the dugout. Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish champions, are aiming to end Barcelona’s domestic dominance after failing to win a major trophy in either of the last two seasons. The match featured debuts for new signings Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konaté, while record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella were brought on as substitutes.
Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory against Espanyol in La Liga, marking the first match of José Mourinho’s second spell in charge of the club. The win came 13 years after Mourinho’s previous departure from the dugout. Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish champions, are aiming to end
Fact cards
Key entities: Real Madrid, Espanyol, Jose Mourinho, Carlos Espi, Jude Bellingham, Alex Calatrava.
Who scored the winning goal for Real Madrid? Substitute Carlos Espí scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute. How long has it been since José Mourinho last managed Real Madrid? It has been 13 years since his previous departure. Which new signings made their debuts in the start
Al Jazeera Global News | https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/8/22/real-madrid-beat-espanyol-2-1-in-jose-mourinhos-first-game-on-return | published 2026-08-22T21:55:06.000Z | primary source | ESPN | https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49694751/jose-mourinho-real-madrid-espany
2013: José Mourinho departs Real Madrid for the first time. 2026-08-22: Real Madrid defeat Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga, José Mourinho’s first match in charge. 2026-08-22: Jude Bellingham opens the scoring with a header. 2026-08-22: Alex Calatrava equalises for Espanyol in the 30th mi
Timeline
José Mourinho departs Real Madrid for the first time.
Real Madrid defeat Espanyol 2-1 in La Liga, José Mourinho’s first match in charge.
Jude Bellingham opens the scoring with a header.
Alex Calatrava equalises for Espanyol in the 30th minute.
Substitute Carlos Espí scores the winning goal in the 90th minute.
FAQ
Substitute Carlos Espí scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute.
It has been 13 years since his previous departure.
Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konaté received their debuts in the starting lineup.
Real Madrid won 2-1 against Espanyol.
Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, and Bernardo Silva all received starting debuts for the club.
Carlos Espí reportedly cost Madrid €25 million ($28 million) from Levante.
The last time was in 2009, when Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Karim Benzema made their bows.