Matches
Bernardo, Konate start in a 4-2-3-1: How Real Madrid can line up against Espanyol
It is finally time. Real Madrid are back in action in La Liga for the first time in the 2026/27 season later tonight as they take on RCD Espanyol away at the RCDE Stadium in what will be Jose Mourinho’s first official match in charge since returning.
After a three-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese tactician is back at the club after 13 years, hoping to help the team win trophies after two consecutive underwhelming campaigns.
Florentino Perez & co. have spared no effort in strengthening the squad for Mourinho, with as many as six new signings arriving, while Vinicius Jr. has also signed a new contract after months of speculation.
Heading into the trip to Catalonia today, all six signings are available for Real Madrid, although the manager will still be unable to count on some players such as Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Endrick, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Real Madrid go into the game having not lost any of their pre-season fixtures, with their latest friendly ending in a victory over Schalke in Germany.
However, a trip to RCDE Stadium is never easy and Manolo Gonzalez & co. will make life tough for the Spanish capital club tonight.
Ahead of their opening game of the season, here’s how Mourinho could set his Real Madrid team up against the Catalan club.
Defence
Thibaut Courtois is back fit and firing after recovering from the minor injury he sustained with Belgium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, therefore, will start in goal as per usual for Real Madrid.
The defensive line will bear a new look as summer arrival Denzel Dumfries is set to get the nod at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, having made a solid impression during pre-season.
On the opposite side, fellow new signing Marc Cucurella might have to wait for his chance, having not had enough minutes under his belt in pre-season after returning late. Instead, Alvaro Carreras should get the nod in the lineup.
At the heart of the Real Madrid defence, there will be a fresh centre-back pairing as new arrival Ibrahima Konate appears set to start ahead of Antonio Rudiger after impressing in the Schalke encounter. He will pair up with youngster Dean Huijsen.
Midfield
The midfield department is where Mourinho has some major decisions to make as he looks to find the perfect balance between creativity and solidity.
With Aurelien Tchouameni ruled out, the Real Madrid manager will have to choose three players from Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and youngster Jorge Cestero.
And, as things stand, everything indicates that Bernardo will start as one of the pivots, having shown he can make things tick from the deeper midfield position. Partnering him, in all likelihood, should be club captain Valverde.
As for the attacking midfield role, while Bellingham will eventually take over as the regular starter, given that he has not had enough minutes under his belt since returning, it will be Guler who will be starting against Espanyol.
Attack
Moving further up the pitch, Kylian Mbappe will be thrust straight into the starting XI in the centre-forward role after his goalscoring return to action against Schalke.
On the left side will be Vinicius Jr., with Mourinho facing the huge challenge of getting the two Real Madrid superstar forwards to operate on the same wavelength.
Finally, on the right, it is likely that Brahim Diaz gets the nod tonight against Espanyol, ahead of summer signing Yan Diomande, who will have to wait for his opportunity.
Fellow new arrival Carlos Espi, too, will likely come off the bench at some point in the second half.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
