Jude Bellingham marked the start of Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Real Madrid by scoring the opening goal of their LaLiga campaign at Espanyol.
Mourinho was brought back by president Florentino Perez 13 years after he left the club, with the Portuguese coach tasked with reviving a team that went through the 2025-26 season without a trophy. It did not take long for the new era to make an impact.
The England international met Arda Guler’s free kick from the left wing with a firm header that proved too strong for Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. The goal came 10 minutes into the match, giving Madrid an early advantage.
Before the game, Mourinho had spoken about playing Bellingham alongside Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. He said: “After the tactical adjustments, it might be a little bit more difficult. I’m very confident that you’ll say it’s great when the three play together because they’re high-quality players, and I don’t think their positions are incompatible either. I’m very confident that we’re going to have a great season with them.”
All three were in the starting lineup at Espanyol, and with Bellingham and Mbappe wheeling away in celebration after the early goal, Madrid supporters may feel encouraged that Mourinho can make the trio work.
Madrid fans could be forgiven for having more confidence in Mourinho’s ability to make the three stars play together after seeing them celebrate in unison just 10 minutes into his second era.
