Carlos Espí rescues Mourinho’s Real Madrid return in stoppage time

José Mourinho marked his first game back in charge of Real Madrid with a 2-1 win at Espanyol, needing a 90th-minute winner from substitute Carlos Espí to avoid a damaging opening-day slip, according to the Guardian.

Bellingham strike not enough as Espanyol hit back

Jude Bellingham gave Los Blancos an early lead after nine minutes, heading in from an Arda Güler free kick after Vinícius Júnior had been fouled by Álex Calatrava. Espanyol responded before the break, with Thibaut Courtois saving from Clemens Riedel before Calatrava himself finished off a slick move involving Tyrhys Dolan and Javi Hernández to make it 1-1.

Kylian Mbappé twice forced saves from Marko Dimitrovic either side of the interval. Valverde hit the post and Mbappé shot wide late on, but Manolo González’s side held firm until Espí, a former Levante striker, forced home a loose ball in the box in the 90th minute.

Return after 4,380 days away

It was Mourinho’s first match in the Madrid dugout since a 4-2 win over Osasuna in May 2013, a gap the Guardian puts at 4,380 days. Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham all started, while Mourinho later introduced Espí from the bench. He also brought on record signing Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Eduardo Camavinga and Trent Alexander-Arnold, according to Al Jazeera.

Mourinho stresses commitment over celebration

Speaking after the match, Mourinho said his side deserved to win but that Espanyol did not deserve to lose, a rare concession from a coach otherwise focused on fitting Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham into the same attack. He had already suggested the trio’s international coaches had found ways to accommodate all three players and did not see their profiles as incompatible, insisting Bellingham’s best position was close to goal rather than deeper in midfield.

Mourinho also stressed that commitment could not be treated as negotiable, framing it as a key standard for his squad.

What happens next

Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in their next La Liga fixture, while Espanyol travel to face the same opponents shortly after, giving both sides an immediate chance to build on or bounce back from an opening weekend that ultimately swung Mourinho’s way at the death.

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