Carlos Espi makes his mark as Real Madrid overcome Espanyol in La Liga

Carlos Espi scored the goal that gave Real Madrid a 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, making the strongest impression among the club’s six new signings in their first appearance for the team.

However, the performance of most of the summer arrivals suggested that Jose Mourinho’s side still have considerable work to do before reaching the level expected of them, according to Tony Monar, a writer for Catalan newspaper Sport.

Real Madrid used all six of their new recruits during the second-round La Liga match, with three of them named in the starting line-up. Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva were selected from the beginning, but their performances were far from uniform.

Konate emerged with the most positive assessment of the starting trio. The France defender looked strong, quick and decisive in his defensive battles, providing an assured presence at the back.

Dumfries and Silva, by contrast, did not produce the level of performance Real Madrid supporters had been hoping to see. The partnership between Silva and Federico Valverde in midfield also failed to appear entirely convincing at this early stage.

Silva worked tirelessly and covered a great deal of ground, but Espanyol repeatedly found room to move through the centre of the pitch. The Portugal international also appeared to tire during the first half, with Real Madrid consequently losing some of their intensity.

As their pressing weakened, the distance between the different sections of Mourinho’s team increased. Silva looked more comfortable in the closing stages, though, as Espanyol dropped deeper and concentrated on closing down the available space.

With the match becoming increasingly difficult to control, Mourinho turned to his other three new signings in an attempt to find a way to secure victory. Marc Cucurella and Ousmane Diomande, however, were unable to make a significant impact.

Cucurella spent much of his time in Espanyol’s half, repeatedly looking for an opportunity to arrive at the far post. That opening never came, while Diomande struggled to get beyond the defenders during the minutes he was on the pitch.

Ousmane Diomande’s challenge for a starting place may already have been made more difficult by Arda Guler. The Turkey international impressed on the right flank and strengthened his case for a regular role in the side.

Espi, the final new signing to feature, produced the most decisive contribution of the group. Monar described him as a striker suited to this type of contest because of his physical strength, intelligence and significant ability in front of goal.

The former Levante striker required only a limited number of touches to open his account for Real Madrid. His goal secured all three points and sent a clear message to the other forwards competing for places at the club.

Espi will face strong competition from a number of high-profile attackers, but his debut showed that he can be relied upon to appear at the crucial moment. His immediate impact provided a bright conclusion to an afternoon in which Real Madrid’s wider recruitment class delivered a range of different impressions.

The 2-1 win over Espanyol gave Mourinho’s side the result they wanted, even if the display underlined the amount of work still required to bring the new-look team together.