Real Madrid

Mourinho’s Real Madrid 2.0 debuts in a strange, smoky preseason opener marked by tension and a mid‑game blackout

A Yáñez penalty was enough to beat Alcorcón in the first friendly - Mourinho’s first game in charge. On 20 minutes, the media were ordered to leave.

Victor Lerena

Sergio López Andy Hall

Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano (Madrid). Update: Jul 24th, 2026 16:08 EDT

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It felt like looking at the blueprints of a house still under construction — useful for understanding the idea, but nothing more. From sketch to finished home, there’s a long road, and caution is key. This new Madrid project looks promising, but until you live in it, you don’t know where the leaks or cracks are. In an empty Estadio Di Stéfano, with media allowed to watch only the first 20 minutes, Real Madrid played its first preseason friendly. A half‑presentation, like going in for a second cheek kiss and stopping abruptly. Incomplete. Odd. But there were glimpses — Mourinho, Volume II.

Under 91°F heat and a thick cloud of smoke from nearby wildfires hanging over the horizon, Madrid won. It was 0–0 when the first‑team players left the field around the 70‑minute mark. The victory came with an all‑academy XI. Yáñez scored from the spot.

Mourinho’s first XI: few surprises

The Special One barely surprised with his lineup: nine first‑team players, with Fede Valverde the only notable absence. He watched from the stands — he’d only been training for two days, so throwing him in would’ve been unnecessary. The opposite was true for Arda Güler, who started despite joining training on Monday. At times, he even led the team.

Madrid lined up with Lunin in goal (and captain), Trent, Asencio, Huijsen and Carreras at the back; Cestero anchoring midfield with Camavinga and Güler ahead of him; Mastantuono on the right, Gonzalo up top, and the big preseason bet, Gabri Valero, on the left — ahead of Palacios or Ciria. Take note.

Mourinho’s Real Madrid 2.0 debuts in a strange, smoky preseason opener marked by tension and a mid‑game blackout — The players greet each other before the match.Victor Lerena

A 4‑3‑3 with tension as the mantra

It looked more like a 4‑3‑3 than a 4‑2‑3‑1. Camavinga and Güler formed a midfield pyramid, with Arda pushing higher during the press and Cama dropping deeper when defending. The structure was rigid, but one word defined Madrid: tension. Staff members shouted it repeatedly during warm‑ups. “Tensión, tensión!” — attitude is non‑negotiable.

Mourinho didn’t appear on the pitch until about 10 minutes before kickoff. He supervised the end of warm‑ups, touched the grass, clapped, tapped a ball, then disappeared.

Mourinho keeps a low profile

Most cameras were aimed at him — more than at the match itself. His reactions, his posture, his presence. Mourinho, back in Valdebebas after 13 years, wearing the now‑viral pink tracksuit and the gray hair that proves those 13 years really passed.

He stayed calm, controlled. He left the bench only once during the 20 minutes the media were allowed to watch, gave a few quiet instructions, and sat back down. Low profile.

Rock‑and‑roll start

Madrid started fast — so fast it felt more like an electric shock than a spark. After just 51 seconds, Mastantuono earned a penalty. He received on the right, pushed the ball long, and was taken down.

Then came the moment: Gonzalo wanted the penalty, but Güler grabbed the ball and claimed it. No debate. He stepped up, paused mid‑run‑up… and missed. Oriol Martí guessed correctly, diving to his right. That was the first 90 seconds of Mourinho’s Madrid 2.0. Maybe it’s true that beginnings don’t define the story.

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— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 24, 2026

No shine… then blackout

“Tension,” they kept shouting from the bench. Even Lunin barked instructions. But the intensity faded. The 15 minutes after the missed penalty had little spark and no goals. Mastantuono stood out, Cestero showed personality, and Gonzalo brought energy. Madrid reached the hydration break without scoring or convincing.

The blueprint was visible: an intense, organized team that, once reinforced with heavyweights, could become a sharper predator. But that’s the plan — the sketch. The final product remains to be seen.

Then came the blackout.

Media were escorted out of the stadium, and Real Madrid TV cut its broadcast, stopping the first test of the new era from reaching fans. From that point on, every detail came from internal communications with authorized personnel inside the Di Stéfano. Writing a match report like this becomes an odyssey.

The first half had few chances, tactical and positional football, more structured than exciting. No goals at halftime.

MVP: Mastantuono

Not many changes followed. Mourinho wanted serious minutes for his nine first‑team players. Güler stepped up, redeeming his early penalty miss. Energetic in the attacking third, leading set pieces, never hiding despite limited training. Improving steadily.

But Mastantuono was the standout. In his first 20 minutes, he carried the attack. A clear bright spot.

La Fábrica takes over

At the hour mark, it was still 0–0, with both teams creating chances mostly from set pieces. At minute 70, Mourinho shook things up: every first‑team player left the field. Full academy lineup.

And the goal arrived. A second penalty — protested heavily by Alcorcón’s staff — and Yáñez converted calmly. That was the winner.

With the stands nearly empty — though Militão and Rodrygo sat with Valverde in the box — the match ended. By then, billowing smoke from the wildfires in Ávila and the Madrid region had grown massive on the horizon. A grim spectator for a match with almost no spectators. And one that, after 20 minutes, vanished into an unorthodox blackout.