It is finally time. Real Madrid are back in action in La Liga for the first time in the 2026/27 season later tonight as they take on RCD Espanyol away at the RCDE Stadium in what will be Jose Mourinho’s first official match in charge since returning.
After a three-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese tactician is back at the club after 13 years, hoping to help the team win trophies after two consecutive underwhelming campaigns.
Florentino Perez & co. have spared no effort in strengthening the squad for Mourinho, with as many as six new signings arriving, while Vinicius Jr. has also signed a new contract after months of speculation.
Heading into the trip to Catalonia today, all six signings are available for Real Madrid, although the manager will still be unable to count on some players such as Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Endrick, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Real Madrid go into the game having not lost any of their pre-season fixtures, with their latest friendly ending in a victory over Schalke in Germany.
However, a trip to RCDE Stadium is never easy and Manolo Gonzalez & co. will make life tough for the Spanish capital club tonight.
Ahead of their opening game of the season, here’s how Mourinho could set his Real Madrid team up against the Catalan club.
Thibaut Courtois is back fit and firing after recovering from the minor injury he sustained with Belgium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, therefore, will start in goal as per usual for Real Madrid.
The defensive line will bear a new look as summer arrival Denzel Dumfries is set to get the nod at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, having made a solid impression during pre-season.
On the opposite side, fellow new signing Marc Cucurella might have to wait for his chance, having not had enough minutes under his belt in pre-season after returning late. Instead, Alvaro Carreras should get the nod in the lineup.
Konate and Huijsen to start at centre-back. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
At the heart of the Real Madrid defence, there will be a fresh centre-back pairing as new arrival Ibrahima Konate appears set to start ahead of Antonio Rudiger after impressing in the Schalke encounter. He will pair up with youngster Dean Huijsen.
The midfield department is where Mourinho has some major decisions to make as he looks to find the perfect balance between creativity and solidity.
With Aurelien Tchouameni ruled out, the Real Madrid manager will have to choose three players from Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and youngster Jorge Cestero.
And, as things stand, everything indicates that Bernardo will start as one of the pivots, having shown he can make things tick from the deeper midfield position. Partnering him, in all likelihood, should be club captain Valverde.
As for the attacking midfield role, while Bellingham will eventually take over as the regular starter, given that he has not had enough minutes under his belt since returning, it will be Guler who will be starting against Espanyol.
Moving further up the pitch, Kylian Mbappe will be thrust straight into the starting XI in the centre-forward role after his goalscoring return to action against Schalke.
Ready to hit the ground running. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
On the left side will be Vinicius Jr., with Mourinho facing the huge challenge of getting the two Real Madrid superstar forwards to operate on the same wavelength.
Finally, on the right, it is likely that Brahim Diaz gets the nod tonight against Espanyol, ahead of summer signing Yan Diomande, who will have to wait for his opportunity.
Fellow new arrival Carlos Espi, too, will likely come off the bench at some point in the second half.
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