Espanyol expose familiar Real Madrid flaws despite late Mourinho victory

Jose Mourinho began his second spell as Real Madrid manager with a dramatic 2-1 win at Espanyol on Saturday, but the result did little to answer the questions surrounding a side that once again showed several of the weaknesses which affected them over the previous two seasons.

Jude Bellingham put Real ahead in the ninth minute of Mourinho’s first competitive match back in charge, only for Alex Calatrava to level for Espanyol around 20 minutes later. With the match appearing destined to finish as a draw, substitute Carlos Espi struck in the final minute to secure victory and give Mourinho three points from his opening game.

Real Madrid started with clear attacking intent and quickly turned their early pressure into a goal. Arda Guler delivered an accurate cross into the area and Bellingham rose to head the ball into the net.

However, the early breakthrough did not bring the control Real Madrid wanted. Espanyol recovered quickly, began to put pressure on Thibaut Courtois and looked increasingly dangerous as the first half progressed.

Courtois was forced into an important save in the 26th minute to deny a threatening opportunity. Espanyol eventually found their equaliser a few minutes later through Calatrava.

Despite falling behind early, Espanyol were the more troublesome side for significant periods of the opening half when the quality and danger of the chances created are taken into account.

The equalising goal also highlighted a broader concern rather than simply representing an isolated defensive error. Real Madrid lacked a genuine defensive midfielder in the move, someone capable of stepping in early to halt the attack or recognise the pass that eventually led to the shot inside the penalty area.

That issue becomes more significant when a team relies heavily on players with attacking instincts. A misplaced pass or loss of possession can leave an uncomfortable amount of space in front of the defence, and Espanyol were able to exploit that vulnerability.

If Mourinho is to establish a more disciplined and demanding style, restoring balance in that area is likely to be one of the main issues to monitor in the coming matches.

Real Madrid improved after the interval and enjoyed more possession, but their greater control did not produce a similar increase in clear chances. At times, they appeared short of ideas when attempting to break through Espanyol’s defensive shape, while the home side remained capable of threatening Courtois whenever they moved quickly into attack.

With Real Madrid seemingly heading towards a disappointing draw, the decisive moment came from the bench. Espi took advantage of confusion inside the Espanyol penalty area and fired a powerful shot into the net in the 90th minute, giving his side victory and securing the first three points of Mourinho’s renewed tenure.

The late goal was an encouraging sign of the impact Real Madrid’s substitutes can make. Even so, it also underlined that the visitors had not settled the game through sustained attacking superiority. Their winner came from a moment of uncertainty in Espanyol’s defence rather than a flowing sequence that demonstrated complete control from the Madrid side.

The result gives Mourinho the ideal start in terms of points, but Real Madrid have not yet shown that they have moved beyond the problems which troubled them in the last two seasons. A lack of attacking solutions, difficulty controlling the rhythm of matches and defensive gaps that allow opponents to create dangerous opportunities were all visible to varying degrees at the RCDE Stadium.

It would be premature to reach firm conclusions after only one match, particularly with the season still in its early stages and the players needing time to adapt to Mourinho’s ideas. But if the same patterns appear against stronger opponents, what emerged in Catalonia will look less like an early-season warning and more like evidence of a deeper problem.

For now, Real Madrid have the three points, which is the most important outcome for Mourinho at the start of his return. Their performance, however, leaves a central question unanswered: was this simply a difficult opening victory, or will the club continue to wrestle with the same problems despite the Portuguese manager’s comeback?