· 2 min readIn this Espanyol vs Real Madrid match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
The Real Madrid started La Liga with a win, but they are far from having left a great first impression. Mourinho returns to the Spanish league with a squad full of talent, new faces and a problem that will follow him throughout the season: there are too many players for just eleven spots. And while he tries to manage those egos, the Rodri situation also remains, as he would have been exactly the midfielder this squad needed, only to end up at rivals Barcelona.
My first surprise came straight away in the starting XI, with Carreras being chosen at left-back instead of Cucurella. And Vini Jr quickly realized that it wasn’t going to be a quiet night: after eight minutes, he touched the ball and heard the first boos.
Madrid, at least, scored early. In the 10th minute, Arda Guler delivered a free kick into the box and Bellingham rose above his marker to head the ball into the back of the net. 0-1. Shortly after, Guler created danger again through the press and, throughout the entire first half, he was clearly Real Madrid’s best player, moving between the right flank and the central areas instead of being stuck to the touchline.
The problem was that Madrid weren’t truly controlling the game. They had 62% possession, but Espanyol continued to find spaces and eventually equalized in the 30th minute. Javi Hernández delivered a low cross from the left, Calatrava made his run into the box and appeared completely free to score. Carreras was the one who should have been tracking him and was caught badly out of position. 1-1.
Vini Jr was heavily targeted, suffered several fouls in the first half and was also booked during a confrontation with Calatrava. The game wasn’t exactly pretty: lots of fouls, little rhythm and few genuinely dangerous situations. For Real Madrid against a theoretically inferior opponent, it wasn’t enough. Espanyol even finished the first half on top.
The second half started with a huge chance. In the 53rd minute, Bellingham headed the ball and Dmitrovic made a great save. The ball then fell to Mbappé, who had 0.96 xG in that situation and still couldn’t even hit the target. A huge miss for a player of that level.
Espanyol continued to play without fear, defending in a 4-4-2 and accepting the exchange of attacks. Madrid needed to make changes because they couldn’t dominate for long periods. Mourinho eventually took Arda Guler off in the 64th minute, precisely when the Turkish midfielder was the team’s best player. Bringing on Yan Diomande made sense, but taking Guler off was questionable. There were other players who could have been taken off instead.
Real Madrid started to have more of the ball, reaching 66% possession and registering 12 shots in the second half, but only two were on target. The dominance was more territorial than an actual siege. Espanyol were already accepting the draw and defending deeper and deeper, but Madrid couldn’t create the kind of pressure that turns possession into goals.
Until Carlos Espí appeared. In the 90th minute, Diomande found Mbappé, who forced the play, lost the ball, but Espí held onto it, moved to his right and fired into the back of the net. 1-2. In his first official game for Real Madrid, the youngster rescued a team that had been far from convincing.
Post-match
Real Madrid start with three points, which was the essential thing, but there is still plenty to improve. Guler was the best player while he was on the pitch, Espanyol showed courage and caused problems, and Mourinho’s team never really managed to suffocate their opponents.
