Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Espanyol, with Arda Güler producing a standout creative performance and Carlos Espí coming off the bench to score the decisive goal.
Here are the player ratings from the match.
Thibaut Courtois — 7
Had almost nothing to do for most of the game. Courtois made two straightforward saves, and there was little he could have done about Espanyol’s goal.
Denzel Dumfries — 7.5
There have been questions over Dumfries starting ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he rewarded José Mourinho’s faith with an impressive defensive
performance. His ball-winning and counter-pressing were particularly strong, and he finished with a team-high four tackles.
Ibrahima Konaté — 8
Extremely solid. Espanyol had very little answer for Konaté’s physicality, while his defensive reads allowed him to consistently shut down attacks before they developed.
Dean Huijsen — 8
Complemented Konaté extremely well, particularly with his vertical passing from the back. The two center-backs combined for 10 important clearances and provided Real Madrid with a strong defensive foundation.
Álvaro Carreras — 7
Made several dangerous overloads down the left and was comfortable in possession. Another solid performance.
Bernardo Silva — 6.5
Not as noticeable as one might have hoped, but quietly played an important role in possession. Bernardo frequently dropped into deeper areas and helped Real Madrid distribute the ball and progress through midfield.
Fede Valverde — 6.5
This could easily have been a 7.5 or an 8 based on much of Valverde’s defensive work, but his mistake on Espanyol’s goal was costly. He lost track of Cala and allowed him to get free. Outside of that moment, Valverde was very good defensively.
Arda Güler — 9
A masterclass. Güler produced seven key passes and an assist and was at the heart of Real Madrid’s best attacking sequences. His set-piece delivery was particularly dangerous, including the ball for Jude Bellingham’s goal and another that nearly resulted in a second Bellingham header. The team’s standout player.
Jude Bellingham — 8.5
Another standout performer. Bellingham scored a fantastic header and nearly added another from an excellent Güler set piece. He was silky under pressure, precise with his tackling and completed all six of his attempted long balls.
Vinícius Jr — 5
A difficult night. Vinícius completed only three of his seven attempted dribbles and lost possession 15 times. He did, however, win the free kick that ultimately led to Bellingham’s goal.
Kylian Mbappé — 6
Not at his best. Mbappé attempted 10 shots but put only three on target. There were some nice moments with his dribbling and link-up play, but he also over-dribbled once and lost possession in deeper areas. His run did play an important role in the sequence that resulted in Espí’s winning goal.
Substitutes
Carlos Espí — 8
He doesn’t need much time to make an impact. Espí came off the bench and scored the decisive game-winning goal, continuing his clinical form from pre-season.
Yan Diomande — 6.5
Struggled to break through Espanyol’s defensive block and never quite found his rhythm. In fairness, it was his first appearance and there was very little space available by the time he entered the game.
Trent Alexander-Arnold — 6.5
Not much to note from his time on the field, although he produced one vital defensive intervention in a one-on-one situation against Tyrhys Dolan, winning possession cleanly.
Marc Cucurella — 6.5
Worked extremely hard during his shift off the bench and helped Real Madrid see out the game.
Eduardo Camavinga — 6.5
Only had 11 minutes on the field but looked good in possession during his brief appearance.
