Espanyol to host Real Madrid as Mourinho begins second spell
Real Madrid is set to begin its La Liga campaign against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona this Saturday. The match, scheduled for 9:30 PM local time (19:30 GMT), marks the start of José Mourinho‘s second tenure as coach of Real Madrid.
Mourinho returns to the club 16 years after his initial appointment, with the primary objective of challenging Barcelona for dominance in Spanish football. His first spell at Real Madrid, from 2010 to 2013, was marked by an intense rivalry with Pep Guardiola‘s Barcelona, culminating in a La Liga title win in the 2011-12 season with 100 points.
Mourinho’s return and squad changes
The decision to bring Mourinho back follows a period of dressing room instability and a struggle to balance the team’s attacking talent with defensive solidity. Coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, and Alvaro Arbeloa reportedly faced challenges in integrating star players like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham without compromising the team’s defense.
Mourinho, now 63 years old, has stated he is a more mature and less emotional coach after gaining experience in England, Italy, and Turkiye. He aims to instill a culture of work, responsibility, and ambition within the squad.
Real Madrid has been active in the transfer market this summer, making significant acquisitions. Ivorian winger Yan Diomande joined as a record signing for 140 million euros. Other notable arrivals include Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella. However, the club did not secure Rodri, who was linked with Real Madrid before joining Barcelona, leading to some debate about the reinforcement of the midfield.
The squad list for the match against Espanyol includes goalkeepers Courtois, Lunin, and Sergio Mestre. Defenders are Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries, and Mario Rivas. Midfielders listed are Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria. Forwards include Vini Jr., Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande.
Team news and historical context
Real Madrid will be without several players due to injuries. Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Raul Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Endrick, and Aurelien Tchouameni are all unavailable. Jude Bellingham‘s match fitness is being assessed, and he might start from the bench.
For Espanyol, Kike Garcia, Javi Puado, and Leandro Cabrera are out. Edu Exposito faces a late fitness test. The predicted lineup for Espanyol includes Dmitrovic; El-Hilali, Riedel, Nunez, Hinojo; Gonzalez, Lozano; Calatrava, Hernandez, Dolan; and Fernandez.
Historically, Real Madrid holds a strong record against Espanyol. This upcoming match will be the 202nd meeting between the two clubs, with Real Madrid having won 119 encounters compared to Espanyol‘s 46 victories. In La Liga alone, Real Madrid has won 110 of their 180 meetings, drawing 33 and losing 37. Espanyol has lost 11 of the 15 matches played against Real Madrid at the RCDE Stadium in La Liga.
Real Madrid also boasts an impressive record in La Liga season openers, remaining unbeaten in the first round for 17 consecutive seasons, with 12 wins and 5 draws. Their last opening-day defeat occurred in August 2008 against Deportivo La Coruña.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, at 9:30 PM local time.
Source: aljazeera.com
