Mourinho begins second Real Madrid spell with narrow friendly win over Alcorcon

Real Madrid opened their 2026-27 pre-season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Alcorcon, as Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge began with a low-key but winning friendly at an empty Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.

The decisive moment arrived after the hour when Mourinho replaced his senior players with an entirely academy XI from “La Fabrica”. With the score still goalless in the 70th minute, those youngsters secured the win thanks to a calmly converted penalty by Yanez, following a second spot-kick awarded to Real Madrid on the night.

The match was played in 33-degree heat and behind closed doors, adding to the subdued atmosphere around what was Mourinho’s first appearance back at Valdebebas in 13 years. Despite the familiar scrutiny surrounding the Portuguese coach, his return to the Real Madrid dugout was marked more by composure than theatrics.

Quiet start to Mourinho’s second era

Mourinho opted against major surprises in his initial line-up. He had 10 first-team players available and used nine of them, the only absentee being Fede Valverde, who watched from the stands after completing just two training sessions since joining up with the squad on Wednesday. Eder Militao and Rodrygo sat alongside him to offer support.

In contrast, Arda Guler was thrown straight into the starting XI despite only resuming training on Monday. He lined up in midfield with Eduardo Camavinga, while Andriy Lunin started in goal and wore the captain’s armband. In front of Lunin, the back four featured Alexander-Arnold, Marco Asensio, Hoever and Carreras. Sistrelo anchored midfield, with Mastantuno on the right wing, Gonzalo up front and Mourinho’s biggest attacking gamble, Gabri Valero, deployed on the left.

Mourinho himself did not emerge onto the pitch until about 10 minutes before kick-off, briefly observing the end of the warm-up, touching the turf and the ball, then heading back down the tunnel. During the match he cut a restrained figure on the touchline, dressed in pink training kit, his greying hair underlining the time that has passed since his previous tenure at the Bernabeu.

Cameras focused intently on the 61-year-old throughout his first outing back at Valdebebas, tracking his reactions more closely than the on-field action. He left the bench only once in the opening 20 minutes to give some low-key instructions before returning to his seat.

Early penalty miss sets subdued tone

On the pitch, Real Madrid started brightly. Within 51 seconds, Mastantuno burst in from the right wing and won a penalty, offering Mourinho an ideal early chance to mark his comeback with a goal. Guler rushed to collect the ball and insist on taking the spot-kick, edging out Gonzalo, who also wanted the responsibility, but his effort was saved by the Alcorcon goalkeeper.

That missed opportunity set the tone for a first half that gradually lost intensity. Over the following 15 minutes, neither side created clear chances as the tempo dipped. Mastantuno emerged as Real Madrid’s liveliest threat, while Sistrelo showed authority in midfield and Gonzalo worked hard to impress, but the opening period ended goalless and without fully convincing in terms of attacking fluency, despite a clear emphasis on structure and high pressing.

After the 20-minute mark, Real Madrid implemented a media blackout: journalists were removed from the stands and the club’s official channel cut its live broadcast, limiting external coverage of Mourinho’s tactical adjustments for the remainder of the game.

Even so, Guler was seen continuing to search for redemption after his penalty miss by demanding the ball, orchestrating play and taking charge of set pieces, while Mastantuno remained the main source of danger in the final third.

Academy decides it from the spot

With the scores still level at 0-0 in the 70th minute, Mourinho made a sweeping change, withdrawing all his first-teamers and sending on 11 academy products from La Fabrica. The move shifted the dynamic of the contest and ultimately decided it.

Real Madrid were awarded a second penalty, this time taken by Yanez, who succeeded where Guler had earlier failed by striking confidently past the goalkeeper. The Alcorcon coaching staff protested the referee’s decision, but the goal stood and proved enough to seal a 1-0 win.

The narrow victory, secured by the club’s youth players after the seniors had left the field, gave Mourinho a positiveif unspectacularstart to his second tenure and offered an early glimpse of the academy talent he may look to during the coming season.