José Mourinho wins his first match back at Real Madrid as debutant Carlos Espí scores a 90th-minute winner against Espanyol following Jude Bellingham's opener

José Mourinho made a triumphant return to the Real Madrid bench as Los Blancos snatched a late 2-1 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium in their LaLiga opener. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring early before Álex Calatrava brought the hosts level, but debutant substitute Carlos Espí struck in the 90th minute to deliver all three points for Mourinho's side.

Temi Kings

José Mourinho’s second era as Real Madrid head coach got off to a thrilling start as Los Blancos claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol in their opening LaLiga fixture at the RCDE Stadium.

Real Madrid wasted no time establishing control, taking the lead in the 9th minute. Arda Güler whipped an inch-perfect free-kick into the penalty area, where Jude Bellingham rose highest to direct a powerful header past Marko Dmitrović. Espanyol fought back into the contest and brought the match level in the 30th minute through Álex Calatrava, who finished off a clever team build-up after being set up by Javi Hernández.

With the game tied at 1-1 late in the second half, Mourinho turned to his bench, introducing summer signing Carlos Espí for Bellingham in the 79th minute. The tactical gamble paid immediate dividends in the 90th minute when Espí showed composure in a crowded box to turn home the winning goal. The 2-1 result secured a perfect start on paper for Mourinho as Real Madrid kick off their league campaign with three valuable away points.