Real Madrid Secures Hard-Fought Victory Over Espanyol in La Liga Opener
Real Madrid faced a challenging start to their 2026-27 La Liga campaign, managing to secure a narrow 2-1 victory against Espanyol on Saturday night. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring early in the match, but Espanyol’s Alex Calatrava quickly equalized. The decisive moment came in the 90th minute when debutant Carlos Espi scored, ensuring the three points for José Mourinho’s team.
The match showcased typical early-season dynamics for Real Madrid, characterized by diligent efforts but lacking quality in execution. Following two underwhelming seasons, the team aims to build confidence and can take some positives from this hard-earned win as they prepare to face Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu on Wednesday.
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Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 6/10
The Belgian goalkeeper had minimal action, making two key saves, including a crucial one just before halftime to prevent Espanyol from taking the lead. He was largely helpless against the home side’s equalizer.
Denzel Dumfries – 6/10
Real Madrid took a gamble by signing Dumfries to replace Dani Carvajal. While his attacking contributions were satisfactory, he faced criticism as his defensive shortcomings were evident in Espanyol’s goal that originated from his side.
Ibrahima Konate – 7.5/10
Konate made a commendable debut for Real Madrid. Despite momentarily being out of position during Espanyol’s goal, he delivered a strong overall performance that surely pleased Mourinho.
Dean Huijsen – 7/10
Huijsen was chosen over Antonio Rudiger in defense and faced some tense moments reminiscent of previous performances, but he held his ground overall.
Alvaro Carreras – 6.5/10
Carreras provided a reliable performance, although it likely did not enhance his chances of unseating Marc Cucurella as the preferred left-back.
Federico Valverde – 7/10
The new club captain demonstrated leadership with solid contributions in both defense and attack. Nevertheless, he failed to track Calatrava’s run leading to Espanyol’s goal, which cost him a rating point.
Bernardo Silva – 6.5/10
In what was not an impressive debut for Silva, it underscored the impact of losing Rodri on the squad. While he should improve, he’s perhaps not suited to be a regular starter in a deeper role.
Arda Guler – 8/10
Playing in an unfamiliar right position, Guler stood out as one of the best performers, assisting Bellingham’s opening goal and nearly creating another during the match.
Jude Bellingham – 8.5/10
Bellingham delivered a standout performance similar to his prior season, scoring the opener within nine minutes and contributing significantly to the team’s attacking play.
Vinicius Junior – 6/10
With a strong record of 12 out of 16 duels won, Vinicius showed promise but ultimately lacked the finishing touch, failing to convert chances during the game.
Kylian Mbappe – 5.5/10
Mbappe appeared off his game, likely due to a lack of pre-season preparation. He managed to only make a notable run that led to Espi’s winning goal.
Substitutes
Marc Cucurella – 6.5/10
Cucurella displayed confidence upon his introduction to the match, hinting at a promising future with the club.
Yan Diomande – 6/10
Diomande aimed to impress on his debut but struggled to make a significant impact.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10
Alexander-Arnold posed a threat from the right side after his substitution.
Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10
After a summer filled with transfer speculation, Camavinga must capitalize on opportunities to prove his worth under Mourinho; he fared decently in this match.
Carlos Espi – 7/10
Espi made an impressive debut, looking sharp during his brief 15-minute stint and ultimately scoring the goal that secured the win for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid were made to work very hard for the victory in their first match of the 2026-27 La Liga season, as they won 2-1 at Espanyol on Saturday night. Jude Bellingham’s early goal was cancelled out by Alex Calatrava, and while it had looked like that would be it, debutant Carlos Espi struck in the 90th minute to seal the three points for Jose Mourinho’s side.
It was a typical early-season performance from Real Madrid, with a lot of hard work but not much quality. Clearly, it will take time to build confidence on the back of two disappointing seasons in a row, but they can take the positives from the victory at the RCDE Stadium into their next match, which is against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
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Player ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 6/10
The Belgian stopper did not have much to do. He made two saves, including an important one at the end of the first half to stop Espanyol taking the lead, but he could do little about the home side’s equaliser on the half hour mark.
Denzel Dumfries – 6/10
Signing Dumfries to replace Dani Carvajal was a risky move by Real Madrid, as they now have two right-backs with major defensive deficiencies. The Dutchman’s were exposed at the Espanyol goal, which came from his side, although he was probing in attack.
Ibrahima Konate – 7.5/10
Konate can be very pleased with his Real Madrid debut. While he was in no-man’s land for Espanyol’s goal, he made up for it with a dominant performance on the whole, which will have pleased Mourinho a lot.
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Dean Huijsen – 7/10
Preferred to Antonio Rudiger in defence, and while he had some shaky moments that were reminiscent of last season, he did well.
Alvaro Carreras – 6.5/10
A solid enough performance from Carreras, although it’s unlikely to have been enough for him to up his chances of being preferred to Marc Cucurella anytime soon.
Federico Valverde – 7/10
Real Madrid’s new club captain put in a captain’s performance in Barcelona, contributing well in defence and attack. However, he did fail to track Calatrava’s run for the Espanyol goal, which losing him a rating or two.
Bernardo Silva – 6.5/10
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Not a particularly great debut from Silva, and if anything, it highlights exactly what losing out on Rodri was such a big blow for Real Madrid. The Portuguese will be fine, but he’s arguably not someone that should be a regular starter, especially in a deeper role.
Arda Guler – 8/10
Guler was used on the right by Mourinho, a position that he has barely featured in since joining Real Madrid. However, he could be used there a lot this season, as he was one of the star performers at the RCDE Stadium, grabbing the assist for Bellingham’s early goal before almost getting a second when the Englishman was denied in the second half.
Jude Bellingham – 8.5/10
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This was a Bellingham performance from the 2023-24 season, and it was no surprise too, given that Mourinho used him in a role that Ancelotti did during that campaign. He headed in the opener after nine minutes, and he came so close to a second after half time, while his all-round play was excellent, as it usually is.
Vinicius Junior – 6/10
12/16 duels won shows that Vinicius did well against Espanyol, but as was the case many times last season, he lacked effectiveness in the final third. His final ball was below-par, and he never looked like scoring.
Kylian Mbappe – 5.5/10
Mbappe was clearly very rusty, which makes sense considering he barely had a pre-season. He never looked like troubling the Espanyol defence, up until a probing run ended with Espi scoring the winning goal.
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Substitutes
Marc Cucurella – 6.5/10
Cucurella was very assured when he came on, which should be a sign of things to come in his Real Madrid career.
Yan Diomande – 6/10
Tried to make an impression on his Real Madrid debut, but the truth is that he lacked effectiveness.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6/10
Looked threatening on the right side when he came on.
Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10
Having looked like leaving for much of the summer, Camavinga will need to make the most of his opportunities if he is to count for Mourinho. On this occasion, he competed pretty well.
Carlos Espi – 7/10
What a debut for the 21-year-old, who was dangerous during his 15-minute cameo, which was capped off with a poacher’s finish to seal the three points for Real Madrid.
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