Real Madrid Secures 4-1 Victory Over Real Sociedad in Season Opener
Real Madrid began the 2026-27 season with a confident 4-1 victory against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. Despite not delivering an exceptional performance at times, Los Blancos achieved a crucial win that keeps them at the top of the La Liga table early in the campaign.
Following the match, head coach Jose Mourinho addressed the media, sharing his views on the game. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the visitors and expressed that his team struggled in the first half but showed a remarkable response after the break.
“I highlight that La Real are a very good team, they created a lot of difficulties for us,” Mourinho said. “In these games I would like to have the hydration break to be able to speak after 25 minutes, they caught us by surprise. They didn’t create too much danger, but it was difficult to put pressure on them. Until we changed in the second half we were not calm. But we kept calm and in the second half the team was very strong.”
Kylian Mbappe shone brightly in the match, scoring his first three goals of the season. Mourinho praised the performance of the hat-trick hero and commented on the inevitable comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he had worked during his previous tenure at the club.
“What Mbappé has done is crazy. A lot of quality. Goalscoring ability, creation, when the team is in difficulty he goes down and connects with the rest so that the team gains meters and builds danger. He played an incredible game. The team has always been a team. It’s a great match, with a lot of individual performances of great quality, the defenders very dominant, the machines in midfield, those up front… We could have scored more goals, but with what La Real has done it must be frustrating to go home conceding four goals,” Mourinho remarked.
Mourinho noted that while he does not like to make player comparisons, he is immensely happy for Mbappe, who made history in the World Cup. “He is very hungry to make history with Real Madrid,” he added. “I saw a very good team, apart from Kylian, a very good team, with the difficulties of the first half, and we knew how to be a team: wait, be calm, compact… We managed to have the ball and in the second half one more gear. I liked the second half a lot.”
The coach was also asked about the whistling directed toward Vinicius Junior, who responded positively by scoring a goal and providing an assist in the second half. “We already know him and thanks to that, the demand is for history. Madrid have great players, great teams. It’s one thing to be a fan and another thing to be a player. I am not asking for the whistles to be replaced by applause. They always have some justice; people were frustrated, a couple of whistles don’t hurt anyone, they help to grow too. There are going to be games that are going to be won with difficulty; in Spain there are good players, good teams, they are not afraid to play against good teams, in other countries you don’t play, you defend. La Real played to win,” Mourinho explained.
Additionally, he clarified the reasoning behind substituting Vinicius in the 84th minute. “We speak the same language; joking is easier. I would never have taken Vini off without the goal, without the positive feeling. I changed him because he needs to rest a bit, we have another game in three days. I thought it would be good to take him off after the goal. It was good to take it out to feel the affection of the people.”
Real Madrid have recorded back-to-back wins at the start of the 2026-27 season, having defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. It was not a particularly great performance at times from Los Blancos, but they got the job done – and it means they still top of the table at this early stage of the campaign.
As per Diario AS, head coach Jose Mourinho spoke to the media after the match to dissect events at the Bernabeu. He was impressed with the visitors, and while he believes his side were poor in the first half, he was pleased with the response in the second.
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“I highlight that La Real are a very good team, they created a lot of difficulties for us. In these games I would like to have the hydration break to be able to speak after 25 minutes, they caught us by surprise. They didn’t create too much danger, but it was difficult to put pressure on them. Until we changed in the second half we were not calm. But we kept calm and in the second half the team was very strong.”
Kylian Mbappe was the star of the show for Real Madrid, as he notched his first three goals of the season. Mourinho waxed lyrical about the hat-trick hero, as he also addressed comparisons between him and Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he worked with during his first spell at the club.
“What Mbappé has done is crazy. A lot of quality. Goalscoring ability, creation, when the team is in difficulty he goes down and connects with the rest so that the team gains meters and builds danger. He played an incredible game. The team has always been a team. It’s a great match, with a lot of individual performances of great quality, the defenders very dominant, the machines in midfield, those up front… We could have scored more goals, but with what La Real have done it must be frustrating to go home conceding four goals.
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“I don’t like to compare players, but this guy is incredible. I’m very happy that he made history in the World Cup because there are 25 world champion players, but only one is for the eternity of football, the one with the most goals, has made that history. He is very hungry to make history with Real Madrid. I saw a very good team, apart from Kylian, a very good team, with the difficulties of the first half, and we knew how to be a team: wait, be calm, compact… We managed to have the ball and in the second half one more gear. I liked the second half a lot.”
Mourinho was also asked about whistles from supporters aimed in the direction of Vinicius Junior, who answered them in the second half with a goal and assist.
“We already know him and thanks to that, the demand is for history. Madrid have great players, great teams, It’s one thing to be a fan, and another thing to be a player. I am not asking for the whistles to be replaced by applause. They always have some justice, people were frustrated, a couple of whistles don’t hurt anyone, they help to grow too. There are going to be games that are going to be won with difficulty, in Spain there are good players, good teams, they are not afraid to play against good teams, in other countries you don’t play, you defend. La Real played to win.”
He also explained the decision take off Vinicius in the 84th minute.
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“We speak the same language, joking is easier. I would never have taken Vini off without the goal, without the positive feeling. I changed him because he needs to rest a bit, we have another game in three days. I thought it would be good to take him off after the goal. It was good to take it out to feel the affection of the people.”
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