Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge of Real Madrid got off to a winning start on Saturday, with substitute Carlos Espi scoring a 90th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Espanyol. Yet the celebrations were tempered by familiar defensive frailties, while the return also exposed a potential selection headache at right-back.

Late Drama Seals the Points

Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the ninth minute, rising to head home Arda Guler's dangerous free-kick. Espanyol, however, responded strongly and levelled in the 30th minute through Alex Calatrava, who swept in Javi Hernandez's cut-back after a fine team move, as noted by multiple reports.

The match seemed destined for a draw until Espi, a summer signing from Levante, pounced on a loose ball in the box — after Mbappe was crowded out — to seal the victory. By his standards, Mourinho's reaction was subdued, with the coach clenching his fists before calmly walking down the touchline, according to one report.

"I think that we deserved to win but that Espanyol didn't deserve to lose," Mourinho told reporters. "They didn't have any players at the World Cup and have been working together for a long time, and you could see that."

Espanyol's Calatrava acknowledged the ebb and flow of the match. "We carried out our plan well and then let in that goal at the end," he said, as carried by the same report.

Defensive Flaws Persist

While Real Madrid's attacking line was productive, several sources pointed to continued defensive problems. ANI reported that the defensive anchor who could intervene early, cancel out an attack, or read the pass leading to a shot inside the box "seems to be lacking," suggesting the concession stemmed from a tactical insufficiency rather than a one-off error.

Espanyol, after Bellingham's opener, began to threaten goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Courtois made a key save in the 26th minute from a long-range shot by Clemens Riedel, but the visitors did not heed the warning and were punished four minutes later when Calatrava equalised. Espanyol's Roberto Fernandez also fluffed a header in front of an open goal, as noted in match reports.

Debutants Convene under Mourinho

Mourinho handed debuts to Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate, with the manager starting Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham. Konate, who joined on a free transfer from Liverpool in the summer, played the full 90 minutes in a centre-back pairing with Dean Huijsen. As per one report, he made nine defensive contributions, won two of three tackles, five clearances, five recoveries, and eight of eleven duels, while completing 97% of his passes. However, the same report noted he was "at fault" for Espanyol's only goal. Fans on social media were largely impressed, with one rating his display 9/10 and calling him a "mountain," while another gave 8.5/10 and mentioned "shaky decisions."

Alexander-Arnold's Bench Role Sparks Spanish Media Debate

One of the most discussed subplots was the benching of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was substituted on in the 80th minute. Denzel Dumfries, signed from Inter Milan in a £17.1m (€20m) deal, impressed on debut and was preferred over the former Liverpool defender, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Spanish newspapers were quick to offer verdicts, as relayed by the Echo. Marca gave Alexander-Arnold a 5/10 rating, stating he came on because Real needed "much more in attack," while praising Dumfries as a "marvel" defensively but "a bit more lost in attack." AS said Alexander-Arnold was brought on to "try and find Espi" but was "hardly involved," and added that Dumfries is "ahead of Trent in the pecking order." Mundo Deportivo claimed Mourinho "prefers Dumfries" and signed him to be his "replacement," while Sport said Dumfries "won the starting spot" and described Alexander-Arnold as "more effective" centrally.

A New Rule and a Meme

Mourinho also became a viral sensation during the match, as reported by SPORTbible. With Madrid holding a narrow lead, Dumfries took too long over a throw-in. Referee Jose Maria Sanchez began a five-second countdown, as per a new rule introduced in Europe's major leagues. Mourinho sprinted from the bench to remind his right-back of the countdown, an incident that drew comparisons to a 2020 moment when he ran toward the referee during a Manchester City vs Tottenham match.

Other Results

Elsewhere in La Liga, Sevilla won 3-1 at Athletic Bilbao, while Valencia and Celta Vigo drew 0-0. Barcelona play their first game of the season at Elche on Sunday, and Atletico Madrid host Villarreal on the same day, as reported.