Madrid, Aug 22 (V7N)- Jose Mourinho's second chapter as Real Madrid coach began with a dramatic victory as the Spanish giants defeated Espanyol 2-1 in their opening match of the La Liga season.
Substitute Carlos Espy scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute to give Real Madrid all three points at the end of a thrilling contest.
Real Madrid started Saturday's match with a star-studded lineup. Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham were all in the starting XI, while new signings Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate made their debuts under Mourinho.
Bellingham put Real Madrid ahead in the 18th minute. The England midfielder rose to head home a well-delivered free-kick from Arda Guler.
However, the visitors could not maintain their advantage for long. Alex Calatrava restored parity for Espanyol in the 30th minute after receiving a cutback from Xavi Hernandez.
Mourinho made changes after the break in search of the winning goal, bringing on Ian Diomande and Marc Cucurella. Federico Valverde also came close to scoring, but his effort struck the outside of the post.
Real Madrid finally found the breakthrough in the final minute of regular time. Espy reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the box and fired a powerful shot into the net to secure a 2-1 victory for the visitors.
The win marks Mourinho's return to the Real Madrid dugout after 13 years. The Portuguese coach now faces the task of rebuilding the team following a difficult previous season, while also attempting to challenge Barcelona's dominance in Spanish domestic football.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Sevilla defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-1, while Valencia and Celta Vigo played out a goalless draw.
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