Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid. Carlos Espí scored in the 90th minute on his competitive debut at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday night to win José Mourinho’s first LaLiga match of his second spell in charge, after Los Blancos had been pegged back before half-time by Álex Calatrava.
How Real Madrid beat Espanyol
Madrid led inside nine minutes. Arda Güler swung in a set-piece delivery and Jude Bellingham met it to open the season’s account, the pair playing together in the roles Mourinho had trailed all summer. Kylian Mbappé and Denzel Dumfries both went close before the hosts grew into it: Thibaut Courtois turned away Riedel on 25 minutes, and on 29 Javi Hernández picked out Calatrava arriving from deep for 1-1, per Bernabéu Digital’s match report.
Marko Dmitrović kept Espanyol level with a string of saves after the break. Mourinho emptied the bench — Marc Cucurella and Yan Diomande made their debuts, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Eduardo Camavinga followed, and Espí came on for Bernardo Silva with 15 minutes left. Federico Valverde clipped the post from distance on 76 before the substitute settled it, keeping his head in a crowded box to pick his moment and finish.
What it means
Three points, a clean start and a first goal for a new signing, but Madrid rode their luck: The Real Champs called it a side who “barely survive” the opener, with Bellingham their standout and Vinícius Júnior well short of his best. Next up is the first home night of the campaign at the Bernabéu.
