Real Madrid News
Real Sociedad defender names the Real Madrid star who is harder to stop: ‘If I had to choose one…’
Jon Martin is preparing for another demanding visit to the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Real Sociedad centre-back fully aware of the attacking quality Real Madrid can throw at him.
The 20-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most talented young Spanish central defenders in La Liga.
He had an excellent 2025-26 season that caught everyone’s attention and will be hoping to build on it for the Basque club.
Speaking to MARCA ahead of the clash, the 20-year-old discussed Jose Mourinho’s Madrid, the challenge of defending Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, and his admiration for Carlos Espi.
Martin expects a difficult night at the Bernabeu
The Sociedad defender did not attempt to hide the challenge that awaited him and his team at the Bernabeu.
“Real Madrid are Real Madrid, one of the best teams, and they are always difficult to face, especially at home at the Bernabeu, where the matches are always special,” Martin said.
He then had some words on Jose Mourinho, the returning Madrid manager.
“I usually focus on understanding what the coach I’m facing tends to propose. I know he is obviously a legend there and he will make it a very difficult match for us,” he explained.
Martin already knows the Bernabeu well despite his age, having visited four times across different competitions.
“The first few times you go onto a pitch like that and face a team like Madrid, it gives you a little respect. But once the match starts, all of that disappears and you focus on what happens on the pitch,” he revealed.
Carlos Espi earns praise
The defender also discussed Madrid’s summer spending and singled out Carlos Espi, whom he already knows from Spain’s youth teams and from facing him at Levante.
“I know Espi from the national youth categories and from playing against him last year. I think he is a great player and also a great person,” he said.
Espi made the headlines after scoring Madrid’s winning goal against Espanyol in their first La Liga encounter.
Despite not being a starter, the Spaniard has shown that he has the quality to change games from the bench, which is exactly what Los Blancos would want from him.
Mbappe gets the edge over Vinicius
Martin was also asked who is harder to stop between Mbappe and Vinicius.
“Both are difficult,” he said.
“If I had to choose one, I would probably say Mbappe because he plays closer to me, more as a striker, and because of the space and his one-on-one ability,” he continued.
He also acknowledged the depth of Madrid’s attack.
“Real Madrid fight for La Liga and for every trophy, so they have to have players of that level,” he concluded.
Martin’s words are exactly what Mourinho’s team are dreaming of this season, which is bringing all possible silverware back to the Bernabeu.
Two trophyless seasons at Madrid are almost unacceptable, and there is a reason Florentino Perez has gone all out in appointing Jose Mourinho and making all the signings this summer.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have established an era of dominance domestically in the last couple of seasons, and there is no manager better suited than Mourinho to uproot it.
It remains to be seen how Madrid play this season and whether they are able to displace Barça and reclaim the domestic honours in the coming months.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho talks Carlos Espi, Diomande, Guler, Tchouameni, Atletico Madrid after Elche 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid found another way to win, but Jose Mourinho was hardly celebrating the manner of it.
Carlos Espi’s injury-time strike completed a 3-2 comeback against Elche, rescuing Madrid after they had surrendered control of a game that appeared to be in their hands.
For Mourinho, the result was welcome, but the performance raised a familiar concern.
“When everything seems easy and you let things slide, it’s dangerous. Then the team reacts and wins, but it’s not pleasant.
“The other good thing is that nobody gets bored with these matches. They’re fun,” he began saying.
Mourinho knows what is going wrong
The Portuguese coach was particularly frustrated by another drop in intensity after the interval.
Real Madrid had opportunities to put the game beyond Elche before allowing their advantage to disappear. Mourinho believes that pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“It seems obvious to me. It’s easy to understand. These are games that are all but over, where we have chances to seal the deal but don’t. After failing to do so, we go from having it easy to losing control.
“If we play poorly from the first minute to the 90th, the concern is huge.
“If we have periods where we’re at our best and others where we’re not proactive, just waiting, lacking intensity… Of course it’s a concern. But we won.”
The win keeps Madrid moving, but Mourinho’s concern is less about the points than the way his team is repeatedly making matches unnecessarily complicated.
Carlos Espi again provided the decisive moment from the bench, although Mourinho knows breaking into the starting XI will be difficult with Mbappé ahead of him.
“He’s a guy who works hard and is very motivated,” Mourinho said.
He then added, “He’s up against a player who’s in a league of his own (Mbappe), and we’re well aware of that.”
Madrid derby comes at a delicate moment
Next up is Atletico Madrid, and Mourinho’s attention is already turning towards the derby.
Rather than focusing on the opposition, he remains concerned about his own side’s ability to manage matches.
“The only explanation I can find is that we can’t keep going like this. We misjudged the opportunities we had, and once they score a goal, everything changes,” explained the Real Madrid coach.
Meanwhile, there were positives to take from individual performances, as Mourinho praised Yan Diomande’s development after another energetic outing.
“He’s improving. Physically, you can tell he has more minutes under his belt. He has a great work ethic and intelligence—he’s done a great job.”
Mourinho refuses to call Guler indispensable
Arda Guler’s importance was also questioned after another fantastic performance, but Mourinho rejected the idea that any player is beyond replacement.
“No, no one is indispensable. We were losing control when I made the substitutions; Vini did a great job on defence, but he was very tired.
“And Arda, who was playing in the number 10 position, was also losing intensity.
“I brought in a fresh Jude and Brahim when we were down 0-2, but I could sense we were losing control. That’s how it goes for us. And then, we brought in the heavy artillery and turned it around.”
Mourinho was also pleased with Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde during Madrid’s strongest spells.
“When the team was playing well, he and Valverde were playing well. They broke through the pressure easily, with skill.
“But the game had two phases—or rather three: one until it was 0–2, another until it was 2–2, and another until the end. They did a good job,” he concluded.
Source: AS
