Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid (Bellingham & Espí). A late win on day one… This is my immediate reaction to the first game. Coming up: Player ratings, interviews and a post game podcast.
The 2026/27 season is here, and a trip to Barcelona to face Espanyol was up first for Real Madrid in La Liga. José Mourinho handed debuts to Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva. Álvaro Carreras was preferred at left-back, and Arda Güler found a place on the pitch in offence. Four Castilla players made the bench,
and Fede Valverde captained the team.
Real Madrid started brightly, pushing the ball forward with a number of intricate touches and individual dribbles. Their passing was not overly progressive and they weren’t putting Espanyol to the sword, but they were in control – and took a lead after Jude Bellingham headed home an Arda Güler free-kick. Espanyol had a small amount of quality, but did not look overly imposing – yet still managed to grab an equaliser before half-time after a low ball was played into the area. Half-time, 1-1.
Real Madrid still looked the stronger side in the second-half, but Espanyol provided more of a threat down the other end. Performance levels started to tire, and the usual concerns fans were hoping to leave behind last season began to creep in. Reinforcements were brought in through Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella before Fede Valverde hit the post after taking a great first time attempt. Espanyol began to sit back to cement the draw, and it looked like they were going to come away with it – until Carlos Espí scored a debut goal with a number of bodies surrounding the goal. Real Madrid claimed the late victory with the final score reading 1-2. What did you think about the season opener?
