Real Madrid will go back top of La Liga if they avoid defeat to Real Betis on Friday, but the goal will be to claim another victory at the start of the 2026-27 season. Jose Mourinho's side have won three from three so far, although the trip to La Cartuja will be their toughest test.
After a slow start in the narrow victory over Espanyol two weeks ago, Real Madrid have built up steam well in the wins against Real Sociedad and Malaga. Eight goals have been scored across those two matches at the Bernabeu, and the challenge will be to continue that goalscoring form in Seville.
Betis' defence can certainly be got at by Real Madrid, but concern will be the midfield battle. Isco is set to start against his former club, and he will be the talismanic figure that Los Verdiblancos look to play everything through, while Marc Cucurella must also shut down Antony if Mouringo's side are to be successful.
Trips to the green-and-white side of Seville have been difficult for Real Madrid in recent years. 2021 (0-1, Dani Carvajal goal) was the last time a Los Blancos side were victorious in an away fixture against Betis, with three draws and a defeat since. Mourinho will be keen to end this unwanted run on Friday, although it will be easier said than done.
The trio of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe will be Real Madrid's go-tos for this one, and if even two of them are on form at La Cartuja, the chances of the three points returning to the Spanish capital will be high. But it will be just as important to keep things tight in defence too, especially with the quality that Betis have going forward.

#Friday

Real Madrid had a dream summer transfer window, making as many as six first-team signings and bringing back Jose Mourinho.
Los Blancos also broke their transfer record, making Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande their most expensive signing of all time.
However, according to AS, Mourinho has no intention of letting the €125 million price tag dictate how quickly the 19-year-old becomes a starter for Madrid.
The Portuguese tactician has designed a careful development plan for Diomande, aimed at removing pressure while gradually preparing the Ivory Coast international for an important role in his Madrid side.
Diomande has played only 25, six and 26 minutes, respectively, against Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Malaga.

#diomande #real #coast #jose

Real Madrid kept up their winning run at the start of the new La Liga season by beating Malaga last night with a 4-0 scoreline. Before that, they had defeated Espanyol 1-2 away from home and Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Keeping in view the quality in their squad, the win against La Real must have been valued more by the Merengue players and fans in general. However, one individual who would value the win against Malaga more must be the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, as this game brought him his first clean sheet of the season.
Overall, the Belgian star did not have a lot to do in the last night's game. He had to make only a single save, even though the visitors appeared threatening at some points in the game. As Diario AS has reported, the goalkeeper also talked to the media after the game, and commented on his first clean sheet of the season and some aspects of the Real Madrid team.
The Belgian veteran came up with a fair ****** ysis of the game against Malaga:
"The first half was very good. In the last five or ten minutes, we dropped too deep and they created chances. We didn't play as well in the second half; we had several chances, but we gave them too much of the ball. The fourth goal means the game ends well. 4-0 is a good result."

#belgian

After their wins against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, Real Madrid played their third game of the new season against the newly-promoted Malaga side. The Merengue team lived up to the expectations they had raised with their last game's performance against La Reale, as they scored another four goals in this match to win it 4-0.
Jude Bellingham was inarguably the best player on the pitch in this game, and once again showed his lethal form. He scored an amazing solo goal a few minutes into the first half, and then forced another own goal from a Malaga defender. Beyond the goals, his overall performance on the pitch was also excellent.
As Diario AS has reported, the Englishman also talked to the press after this game and commented on his personal form and his team's performance. Talking about the match against Malaga, the midfielder was still somewhat unsatisfied despite the good result:
"The first half was a great game, but the last 20 minutes… absolutely terrible, I think. I don't know why, but we weren't good."
Bellingham highlighted one particular aspect that is allowing him to shine on the pitch:

#pitch #scored

Real Madrid will take on Malaga CF in a little over an hour in Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having started the new campaign with back-to-back wins over RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad under new manager Jose Mourinho, the Merengues will be eager to maintain their strong start.
With kickoff not far away, Mourinho has announced the Real Madrid starting lineup that will take the field against the newly-promoted La Liga club today at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having fielded the same starting XI for the first two games, the Real Madrid boss has opted to make some changes to the team today.
Three of the changes come in defence, where Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, and Marc Cucurella all start, replacing Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Alvaro Carreras, respectively.

#back #start

Real Madrid are aiming to make it three wins from three at the start of the 2026-27 season when they host Malaga at the Bernabeu on Sunday evening. Jose Mourinho has made a positive impression since returning to the club earlier this summer, although he will be after a more complete performers against the newly-promoted Andalusians.
It's been a busy eight days for Real Madrid. They started their season last Saturday with a narrow 2-1 win at Espanyol, before a much more convincing victory at home to Real Sociedad on Wednesday. They will hope to complete the week in style, and they are overwhelming favourites to return to La Liga summit with another three points – for a few hours at least.
Two players in particular have made excellent starts to the season for Real Madrid – those being Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe – and they will hope to continue their form against Malaga. The former is off the back of an excellent hat-trick in midweek, while Bellingham has registered one goal and two ***** ists in Los Blancos' first two matches.
For the first time in over eight years, this fixture is being played. Malaga's promotion back to La Liga was welcomed by a lot of Spanish football enjoyers, although they have not made the best start to life in the top flight with one draw (vs Deportivo La Coruna) and one defeat (vs Atletico Madrid) in their opening two matches. They will be massive underdogs at the Bernabeu, but if they are to produce a shock, their man to watch will be star striker Chupe – he scored 25 goals in the Segunda last season, while also netting their only goal of the current campaign against Deportivo last weekend.
Real Madrid will certainly fancy their chances of winning this one, which kicks off at the Bernabeu at 5pm CEST (4pm BST, 11am EDT, 8am PST).

#bernabeu

According to MARCA, Real Madrid veteran defender Antonio Rudiger has a strong chance of starting later today when the team take on Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After Germany were eliminated in the first knockout round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on penalties against Paraguay, the senior centre-back went on holiday early. That allowed him to be involved in Mourinho's plans from the very beginning.
Yet, with the third league matchday approaching, he remains the only fit first-team outfield player, aside from the seven injured players, who has yet to feature.
Aware of the importance of making a strong start, the Portuguese tactician has wanted the centre of his defence to be a position of strength.
As a result, Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen started both the matches against RCD Espanyol and Real Sociedad.

#real #team

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham is rediscovering his best form after a season in which he performed below his usual level.
The English midfielder began the campaign with a headed goal against Espanyol last weekend and then produced an excellent display against Real Sociedad, providing two ******* ists, one for Kylian Mbappe and another for Vinicius Jr.
Speaking to Real Madrid's official media, Bellingham discussed his new role and Jose Mourinho's influence on his improved performances at the start of the new season.
"I feel more free again, more free to decide when to drop back, when to stay up or when to get into the box," he explained.
"I think this is the best position for me, the one that allows me to show all my qualities. I'm really grateful to the coach for trusting me to play this way," said the England international.

#real

It was the weirdest moment of Saturday. During Real Sociedad-Espanyol (2-1), Basque goalkeeper Álex Remiro got injured in stoppage time and was treated on the pitch before returning to his position, with his team having already used all five substitutions.
The problem: a new rule in La Liga now requires an outfield player to leave the pitch temporarily when a goalkeeper is treated without being substituted, in order to prevent time-wasting. As a result, La Real were down to ten men for a minute.
The situation sent Real coach Pellegrino Matarazzo into a rage, clearly unaware of this new rule. His anger ended with a sending-off after he furiously protested the referee's decision.
What do you think of this rule? Tell us everything in the comments.
Despite a staggering €354 million spent in the transfer window, Tottenham suffered their second defeat in two Premier League matches against Newcastle and now sit bottom of the table.

#time #treated #espanyol #basque

After winning the first two games of the new season, against Espanyol on the road and Real Sociedad at home, Real Madrid are set to face the newly-promoted Malaga in their next La Liga game, which is scheduled to take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
The Merengues have already been training for this game for some days, and Jose Mourinho held the latest training session ahead of this game on Saturday. As has been the case since the start of the season, the Portuguese coach will remain without several players, including Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio, Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch, Rodrygo, and Endrick.
Tchouameni and Endrick's cases are not as severe as those of the other mentioned players, but they are still not at a competitive fitness level, and thus are highly likely to miss the game against Malaga. The other players continue to recover from their longer-term injuries. As a result, Mourinho called up several players from the academy, including Sergio Mestre, Mario Rivas, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria to fill up his ranks.
Meanwhile, Diario AS reports that there was another surprising presence at Valdebebas during this training session, i.e., the Real Madrid legend, Sergio Ramos. The former Merengue defender and captain visited the club's training facilities during this session.
The Spaniard is currently without a club after having ended his time with the Mexican side Monterrey. Several years after his departure from the Spanish capital, he still remains one of the most beloved players in the history of the white club.

#several

A head-turning statistic, highlighting the impact of Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé in the club's latest outing, has come to the fore online.
This of course comes after the Frenchman proved himself the star of the show en route to Los Blancos keeping alive a perfect start to the new La Liga campaign.
José Mourinho's troops marked their return to action on Wednesday night, welcoming Real Sociedad to the Santiago Bernabéu for their first home fixture of 2026/27.
The aforementioned Mbappé was in from the off for the evening, hopeful of breaking his duck for the new term after drawing a blank against Espanyol on opening day. And not only did the 27-year-old go on to manage that, but over the course of the 90 minutes, he rattled off a brilliant hat-trick.
Mbappé made his intent clear from the off in the clash, looking hungry for goals and taking aim at the Sociedad net on a whole host of occasions. So much so that the former PSG standout secured for himself a recent piece of La Liga history on Wednesday.

#wednesday #course #himself #kylian

The Santiago Bernabeu reopened its gates for the first time this season on Wednesday night as Real Madrid took on Real Sociedad in what should have been their first game of the season.
Jose Mourinho made no changes to his starting lineup on the night and preserved the exact core that won against Espanyol – thereby rewarding the XI with continuity.
The players, needless to say, did not let the manager down as they finished the game with a 4-1 win and a dominant show.
Kylian Mbappe netted a wonderful hat-trick while Vinicius Jr. added the cherry on top with a simple finish. All in all, however, the men in white delivered a complete performance across all departments.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad.

#madrid #first #night #wednesday

Real Madrid put Real Sociedad away 4-1 in their first match at the Bernabeu this season. A hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, along with a goal from Vinicius Junior, made sure that Jose Mourinho's return to the stadium was not spoiled.
This is not meant to be a diss.
One of Dean Huijsen's biggest criticisms from last season was his tendency to always find a spectacular pass. He was always diabolically vertical with his passes, regardless of whether they made any sense. He looked to always be positive with his actions — sometimes too positive, and that hurt Real Madrid on many occasions.
Things would be going well, and the team would be in a position where they needed to keep the ball. Instead of playing the easy pass, Huijsen would always try to find an attacker who was never expecting a pass in the first place.
Against Real Sociedad, and also against Espanyol, things looked more 'boring' and standard and less chaotic with Huijsen. The Spanish International had a 96% pass completion rate on 72 attempts, as he played a lot of sideways passes to Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate.

#always #pass #first #made

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On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani — live from the Bernabeu! — goes live to break down Real Madrid's 4 – 1 win over Espanyol, including:
The performances of Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe
Fede Valverde's performance in the double pivot
Bernardo Silva's defense

#podcast #sobhani

José Mourinho's first home game in his second spell in charge of Real Madrid got off to a positive start as they defeated Real Sociedad by at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Coming off the back of a last-minute victory against Espanyol in gameweek one, Real Madrid started brightly but took until the 40th minute to open the scoring through Kylian Mbappé. Real Sociedad quickly responded and equalised before the break as the sides went into half time level.
Mbappé scored his second on the hour mark before Vinícius Júnior tapped home from close range after good work from Jude Bellingham. Mbappé completed his hattrick ten minutes before the end, as Real Madrid strolled to a convincing victory to go top of La Liga.
Madrid started well and had a couple of early sightings of goal, the closest coming after Vinícius Júnior slipped Kylian Mbappé in behind, but he took on the shot from a difficult angle and it was a comfortable save for Álex Remiro.
The best of the opening ten minutes fell to the visitors and to Mikel Oyarzabal, who found himself free in the box, but his low effort was too close to Thibaut Courtois and the Belgian shot-stopper was able to keep it out.

#mbapp #coming

Real Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu tonight as they host Real Sociedad in their postponed Matchday 1 fixture, with Jose Mourinho looking to make it two La Liga wins from two.
Madrid opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol, where Jude Bellingham scored before summer signing Carlos Espi grabbed a dramatic late winner.
Mourinho will now take charge of his first competitive game at the Bernabeu since returning to the club. The manager still has several absentees to contend with.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Endrick remain unavailable after continuing to train away from the group, while Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch are also out.
Mourinho has nevertheless named a strong 23-man squad, with Eduardo Camavinga available and youngsters Jorge Cestero, Alexis Ciria and Mario Rivas included.

#sociedad #liga

Real Madrid are expected to give Marc Cucurella his first start at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with the summer signing in line to be the only alteration to Jose Mourinho's starting XI against Real Sociedad.
According to AS, Mourinho is not planning a major overhaul for Real Madrid's first home match of the 2026/27 La Liga season.
Instead, the Portuguese coach is expected to keep faith with a side close to his strongest available lineup, with Cucurella's introduction at left-back standing out as the key change.
The match could therefore offer the Bernabeu faithful their first proper look at one of the club's notable summer arrivals from the opening whistle.
Cucurella has already had his first taste of action in a Real Madrid shirt, coming off the bench against Espanyol, but Wednesday's clash against Real Sociedad is expected to mark his first start.

#real

Jose Mourinho claims to be a much cooler character as he prepares for his first home game in charge of Real Madrid since 2013 against Real Sociedad on Wednesday night.
But the 63-year-old conceded his relaxed demeanour might not last if his latest group of Galacticos fail to bridge the eight-point gap that saw them finish second in last season's LaLiga behind rivals Barcelona.
Mourinho began his latest spell in charge with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Espanyol at the weekend and believes he has seen enough to keep his notorious temper at bay for the time being.
"For years now I've felt calmer, with more control over my emotions," said Mourinho, whose first spell had its most controversial moment when he poked then-Barcelona coach ****** o Vilanova in the eye after a Spanish Super Cup tie in 2011.
"But we will have to face difficult and frustrating situations that will come, which haven't come yet because we won the first match and I haven't seen anyone slacking off yet.

#first #charge #seen

Brahim Diaz's complete absence from Real Madrid's opening-day win over Espanyol raised plenty of questions, especially after the midfielder had been among the more heavily used players during pre-season.
Jose Mourinho chose Jude Bellingham in his starting XI and kept Brahim on the bench.
Even when changes were made after the break, the Moroccan attacker did not get his chance, with Yan Diomande handed his debut instead.
For some, the decision raised doubts over Brahim's role in Mourinho's plans for the 2026/27 season, but the player has taken a very different view of the situation.
According to Defensa Central, Brahim is not angry with Mourinho and has accepted the coach's decision.

#raised #season #jude #bellingham

Real Madrid may have begun the 2026/27 La Liga season with three points, but their opening weekend was followed by a familiar controversy away from the pitch.
Following the win over Espanyol, Real Madrid TV returned to one of its most debated themes: refereeing decisions involving the first team.
This time, the club's official television channel focused on the treatment received by Vinicius Jr. and drew a direct comparison with Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal.
The basis of their argument was that Vinicius was repeatedly fouled without Espanyol players being punished with yellow cards, while Lamine Yamal received greater protection in a comparable situation.
Real Madrid's opening-day victory came after a late goal by Carlo Espi secured all three points, but the match was far from short of tension.

#real #vinicius #lamine #received

Even though Arda Güler was one of Real Madrid's most notable players during the win against Espanyol in the season opener, the Turkish midfielder received frustration from Vinicius Junior after one specific play where Güler didn't pass him the ball.
Vinicius to Arda Güler: "Arda! Give me the ball just once, ***** ! It's always the same!"pic.twitter.com/MHtbcNxoI5
Real Madrid struggled creating chances during the second half of the game and while Vinicius was frustrated and ineffective during the entire game, he should not voice that frustration with his teammates, especially with the one player who has been controlling the game for his team.
These situations are common during a football game, but seeing Vinicius with that level of frustration with a teammate is noteworthy. Coach José Mourinho still has work to do in order to make sure that every player in that roster pulls in the same direction this season.

#real

Carlos Espi is arguably the least notable signing made by Real Madrid this summer, and he is definitely the "smallest" name when compared to the likes of Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate. However, he made the biggest impact during Los Blancos' 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, as he scored the winning goal in the 90th minute.
As per MD, Espi was asked about that moment when he spoke at his presentation on Sunday, as he admitted that he struggled to sleep due to the adrenaline of the moment.
"We arrived home at 3am and between messages and that euphoria that I had on top of me, I slept very little because, in addition, I woke up wanting to come here. The truth is that I have slept very little. It was a very beautiful moment, we all had a lot of desire, a lot of euphoria. When I scored they were all there in the corner, it was incredible that they were all with me, they were all happy for me and I am proud that the Real Madrid players are very happy for me."
Espi also spoke on making the move to Real Madrid earlier this summer, which is something that he is very proud of.
"It's a source of pride. I'm very happy for my family and for myself and I'm going to give my all for this club. It's very impressive to see the 15 Champions Leagues, I'm very happy. It's impressive, they take care of every detail. On a football level they are the best in the world. The facilities, the Bernabéu, when I went to the Bernabéu it was incredible. I would say practically everything."

#espi #real #bernab #spoke

Real Madrid may have opened their 2026/27 La Liga campaign with a win, but Jose Mourinho could already be dealing with another fitness concern ahead of the next match.
Jude Bellingham was one of the standout performers against Espanyol and played a decisive role in getting Madrid's season underway.
The England international opened the scoring inside nine minutes, heading home an excellent Arda Guler free-kick.
However, the midfielder's evening did not end without concern.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez, as relayed by Defensa Central, Bellingham was seen with ice on his ankle after the match and appeared to be in discomfort when he left the pitch.

#bellingham #mourinho

La Liga giants Barcelona have omitted a trio of transfer-linked members of the club's first-team setup from their matchday squad to face Elche.
Hansi Flick's troops are of course primed to kick the defence of their Spanish top-flight ****** le into gear on Sunday evening. After seeing arch rivals Real Madrid get the better of Espanyol on Saturday, Barca will be hopeful of responding with a three-point haul of their own.
In efforts towards as much, though, the Blaugrana will make do without the contributions of any of Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, or Héctor Fort.
Defenders Balde and Fort, as well as midfielder Casadó, have all been heavily linked with respective departures from Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer deadline.
Out of the plans of boss Hansi Flick, the Camp Nou brass are hopeful of securing considerable sums for all three over the coming days.

#casad

Real Madrid have started their 2026-27 La Liga season in typical Madrid fashion, securing a late 2-1 victory over Espanyol.
Jose Mourinho and company have Carlos Espi to thank for securing all three points against the Catalan club, with the 21-year-old enjoying a dream start to his Los Blancos career.
His immediate impact has already caught the attention of former striker Joselu, who knows exactly how valuable a traditional No. 9 can be at the Bernabeu.
Joselu has heaped praise on Espi. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)
Joselu reacted enthusiastically to Espi's early performance, highlighting the value of having a physical penalty-box striker who can enter the match and turn it on its head.

#mourinho

It has been a while since the Rodri saga between Barcelona and Real Madrid ended once and for all.
Los Blancos looked favourites to sign him from the start of the summer, but the Catalan club leapfrogged them and secured the player's signature.
Rodri has since been unveiled as a Barça player and, ideally, everyone should have moved on from whatever happened before.
However, the Spaniard's decision to join Barcelona instead of Madrid continues to generate reactions from the Spanish capital.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the Espanyol game (h/t Diario AS), Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was asked about Rodri and offered a rather blunt response.

#Barcelona #blancos #however

Real Madrid left the RCDE Stadium with three points after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol, with Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi getting the goals.
It was a win that marked Jose Mourinho's first official victory as manager since his return to the club, and there were signs of promise.
One incident in particular that caused controversy involved Vinicius Junior and has continued long after the final whistle.
Espanyol used their official social media account to take a thinly disguised swipe at the Brazilian after believing he should have received a second yellow card for simulation.
"After how many dives do you get a second yellow? Asking for a friend," Espanyol posted.

#official

Real Madrid kicked off their new campaign with a win last night against Espanyol, but it was anything but comfortable.
Jose Mourinho's side were made to suffer in Barcelona against a spirited Espanyol side who came out all guns blazing to punish Los Blancos' shaky defence.
It was a special night in some senses as the likes of Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espi and Ibrahima Konate all made their official debuts.
Yet, it was also a night that showed that there is still a long way to go before Mourinho's effects can be seen in the squad. After all, there was not much to celebrate on the night beyond the debuts and a few solid showings.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid.

#blancos

The first front pages of the Mourinho era debut with a scare and a new hero. A guy with a guardian angel, according to As.
Espanyol had Real Madrid on the ropes, and Espí had to arrive in the 90th minute to save the day. 1-2. The first joy for Marca.
Mourinho, true to his combative style, denounced the bullying Vinicius continues to suffer from rivals and fans.
Barça, the reigning champions, begin the league away from home at the Martínez Valero against Elche, with Flick one ****** le away from matching Cruyff and Guardiola in the club of three-time champions.
Going for the third, declare Sport and Mundo Deportivo in unison.

#madrid #marca

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho said that we live in an era of "bullying" when it comes to his winger Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho accused the general public of "bullying" when it comes to his winger Vinicius Jr.
Many felt that Vinicius should have been booked for a diving incident when trying to win a penalty during a 2-1 win against Espanyol.
Goals from Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi were enough to earn three points in Mourinho's second La Liga debut as Los Blancos boss. But he stuck up for his charge as is often the Mourinho way even if his players have done wrong.
"I have the risk that you go back months and dig my words up from when I was Vini's opponent," Mourinho said, in reference to a racism incident in the Champions League when the Portuguese managed Benfica last season.

#winger