José Mourinho began his second spell as Real Madrid manager with a dramatic 2-1 win away at Espanyol, returning to the dugout 4,380 days after his first departure in 2013. The victory was secured by a 90th-minute goal from Carlos Espí, a 21-year-old summer signing from Levante, rather than any of Madrid's high-profile stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior or Jude Bellingham, offering an early sign of the depth Mourinho has at his disposal.

Espí, who had previously helped save Levante from relegation, showed the value of having an old-fashioned centre-forward when he forced home a scrappy late chance to snatch the points. Mourinho, notably calmer in his celebrations than his bench, later embraced Espanyol's coach Manolo González and praised the opposition, acknowledging that Madrid still showed some familiar flaws and that solutions would not come immediately. The result offers cautious optimism ahead of what promises to be a closely watched second era for the Portuguese coach at the Bernabéu.