Mourinho saw physical shortcomings in successful Real Madrid comeback

José Mourinho launched his tenure as Real Madrid's coach with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol in his first Spanish league match. The Portuguese manager witnessed his team secure all three points thanks to a late winner from substitute Carlos Espi in stoppage time.

Mourinho acknowledged that his squad is still developing match fitness, with several players not yet at peak condition following their World Cup exertions. He stressed the importance of accumulating more minutes both in training and matches to implement his desired pressing style effectively. "Some players are still not at their best, and when it comes to the pressure I want to apply, we still lack minutes and kilometers – both in training and in matches," Mourinho stated, according to the club's website.

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Some players are still not at their best, and when it comes to the pressure I want to apply, we still lack minutes and kilometers – both in training and in matches.

Midfield player Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Real Madrid early in the game. Espanyol managed to equalize through Alex Calatrava around the half-hour mark, and the score remained level until Espi's dramatic late goal. Mourinho praised Espanyol for their intensity and cohesive play, admitting, "We deserved to win, but Espanyol did not deserve to lose."

This win marks a significant start for Mourinho, who previously managed Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning the league title once. He has returned to the club with the objective of challenging his perennial rivals, FC Barcelona, who have dominated the Spanish league for the past two seasons. Mourinho replaces Álvaro Arbeloa as the head coach, having most recently been with Benfica in his home country.

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We deserved to win, but Espanyol did not deserve to lose.