Mourinho’s Real Madrid return opens with tight pre-season win over Alcorcon

Jose Mourinho began his second spell in charge of Real Madrid with a hard-fought 1-0 friendly victory over Alcorcon in sweltering conditions at an empty Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.

The winning goal arrived late and from an unexpected source. With the match still goalless after 70 minutes, Mourinho replaced his remaining first-team players with a full XI drawn from the club’s academy, La Fabrica. One of those youngsters, Yanez, converted a second penalty of the evening to secure the result, after Alcorcon’s staff protested the referee’s decision.

Earlier, Real Madrid had missed the chance to take an early lead when Arda Guler saw a spot-kick saved inside the opening two minutes, in what proved the standout incident of Mourinho’s opening 90 seconds back on the Real touchline.

Academy decides it after senior players depart

Real Madrid’s preparations for the 2026-27 season began under a temperature of 33C at the club’s Valdebebas training complex, with the match played behind closed doors and under partial media restrictions.

The score was still 0-0 when the last of the senior players left the pitch on 70 minutes, meaning the victory was ultimately delivered by 11 academy products and Yanez’s decisive penalty.

Mourinho’s starting line-up contained no major surprises. He had 10 first-team players available and used nine of them. The only absentee was Federico Valverde, who watched from the stands having completed just two training sessions since linking up with the squad on Wednesday. Beside him sat Eder Militao and Rodrygo, who were also there to lend support.

Despite only joining full training on Monday, Guler was included from the start and handed a central role in midfield. Behind him, Andriy Lunin began in goal and wore the captain’s armband. The back four in front of him was made up of Alexander-Arnold, Asensio, Hoever and Carreras, with Cistero sitting in the holding role. Eduardo Camavinga and Guler formed the midfield pairing, while Mastantuno operated on the right wing, Gonzalo led the line and promising talent Gabri Valero started on the left.

Early penalty drama then a drop in tempo

On the pitch, Real Madrid flew out of the blocks. After just 51 seconds, Mastantuno cut in from the right and won a penalty. Guler immediately took responsibility, picking up the ball and stepping up ahead of team-mate Gonzalo, who had also shown an interest. Guler’s effort, however, was kept out by the Alcorcon goalkeeper, ensuring Mourinho’s second tenure began with a missed chance rather than an instant goal.

The tempo dropped noticeably after that early flurry. Over the following 15 minutes, clear opportunities were scarce. Mastantuno emerged as the most dangerous player in attack, while Cistero impressed with his presence in midfield and Gonzalo showed his determination to make an impact. The first half ended goalless and without fully convincing, Real Madrid relying on organisation and an aggressive high press as the basis of their play.

From the 20th minute, the club imposed increased media restrictions. Journalists were asked to leave the stadium and the live broadcast on Real Madrid’s official channel was cut, limiting outside visibility of Mourinho’s tactical tweaks for the remainder of the match.

Even so, Guler was later seen striving to make amends for his missed penalty through his movement and creativity, taking charge of set-pieces and attempting to dictate the rhythm. Mastantuno continued to be a constant threat in advanced areas, driving most of Madrid’s dangerous attacks.

Quiet Mourinho under intense scrutiny

Mourinho himself did not walk out onto the pitch until around 10 minutes before kick-off, calmly observing the final stages of the warm-up. He briefly touched the grass and the ball before heading back towards the dugout, avoiding any showy gestures.

Once the game began, the cameras focused more on the Portuguese coach than on the action. This was his first appearance at Valdebebas in 13 years, and his grey hair and pink training kit underlined how much time has passed since his previous spell.

Mourinho cut a restrained figure throughout. He left the bench only once in the opening 20 minutes to offer some low-key instructions from the touchline before sitting back down. There were no animated outbursts or theatrical protests, just a controlled presence overseeing his first match back in charge.

The key intervention came on 70 minutes. With the game still locked at 0-0, Mourinho opted for a complete change, withdrawing all of his senior players and turning to the youth ranks. That decision was rewarded when Madrid were awarded a second penalty, which Yanez converted, despite the animated objections from the Alcorcon bench.

The spot-kick settled a tight contest and ensured Mourinho’s second era at Real Madrid began with a narrow but winning start.