José Mourinho’s second spell in charge of Real Madrid just about got off to a winning start, thanks to new signing Carlos Espí’s 90th-minute goal to claim a 2-1 victory at Espanyol.
The Portuguese coach, taking charge of Madrid for the first time in 13 years after being reappointed for a second spell this summer, looked set to endure a frustrating start to the LaLiga season.
After England midfielder Jude Bellingham headed Madrid into a ninth-minute lead in Barcelona, Cala put the hosts level on the half-hour mark.
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But as the clock ticked toward stoppage time, Espí seized on a loose ball in the penalty box to find the net for his first goal for Madrid just 10 minutes after entering the game as a substitute.
As well as Espí, Mourinho also handed starting debuts to Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva, while the club’s biggest summer signing, Yan Diomande, came off the bench.
