Jose Mourinho Secures Dramatic 2-1 Victory Over Espanyol in Real Madrid Return

Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge of Real Madrid got off to a thrilling start with a 2-1 last-gasp victory against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, sealed by substitute Carlos Espi in the 90th minute. Jude Bellingham initially opened the scoring for Los Blancos in their La Liga season opener, before new signing Espi secured all three points at the death following an earlier equalizer from Alex Calatrava.

Returning to manage Madrid 13 years after his departure, the Portuguese veteran manager aims to stabilize the dressing room after last season's turbulence and challenge Spanish champions Barcelona for domestic dominance. For his first match back, Mourinho deployed star players Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham, while also handing debuts to Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate.

Bellingham, deployed in an attacking midfield role with freedom to roam, headed home the opening goal of Mourinho's new era from an Arda Guler free kick. However, Espanyol responded midway through the first half when Alex Calatrava slotted home a 30th-minute equalizer following a well-executed team move.

As the match wore on, Mourinho introduced further reinforcements, including record signing Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella. Although Federico Valverde hit the outside of the post, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 90th minute when former Levante striker Carlos Espi capitalized on a loose ball inside the box to fire home the winner. In earlier La Liga action, Sevilla secured a 3-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao, while Valencia and Celta Vigo played out a 0-0 draw.