Familiar issues came to the fore again for Real Madrid, but the second José Mourinho era at least got off to a winning start on Saturday.
Carlos Espí’s 90th-minute strike secured a relatively unconvincing 2–1 win for Los Blancos, who were troubled by Espanyol’s transition threat while the contest was level. Still, Madrid supporters were able to catch a glimpse of their new-look galácticos in drips and drabs, with Mourinho needing to carefully manage his roster after a hectic World Cup summer.
