Actual Madrid bought their first injury-time winner of the season as they picked up the primary three factors on the street to Cibeles as Los Blancos beat Espanyol 2-1 on the RCDE Stadium on Saturday night time, with six gamers making their debuts and José Mourinho returning to the dugout after 13 years away.
Listed below are a number of the headline stats and details from the sport.
10 – Minutes for Carlos Espí to attain his first purpose
Solely 10 minutes after approaching to switch Jude Bellingham, Carlos Espí opened his goalscoring account for Actual Madrid. Mockingly, it was an an identical period of time because the final participant to attain on his Actual Madrid debut: Endrick. The Brazilian added a 3rd in a 3-0 win over Actual Valladolid in August 2024, whereas Espí’s contact and end helped to vary the scoreline and seal an important victory to begin the season on the suitable foot.
7 – Video games unbeaten for José Mourinho towards Espanyol
The Portuguese coach has by no means misplaced to Espanyol, successful his first 4 encounters between 2010 and 2012 by including up 13 targets with out conceding any, earlier than two attracts, house and away, in 2012/13. This was his first assembly with the Catalans since a 1-1 draw RCDE Stadium in Could 2013, when Gonzalo Higuaín scored whereas carrying the captains armband. It went nearly went the identical manner as his two earlier visits, with a 3rd consecutive draw, however Carlos Espí made a pivotal intervention.
1.74 – xG for Kylian Mbappé
It’s not usually that any participant reaches double digits for pictures in a single recreation, however Kylian Mbappé did it with no reward on Saturday night time. His whole xG determine could also be barely deceptive, as two possibilities alone account for 1.33, with a degree clean header early within the second half going broad and one other probability on his proper foot shortly earlier than the break additionally going broad. He nonetheless claimed an help, one thing he didn’t obtain till mid-September final season, by establishing Espí for the winner.
2008 – The final time Actual Madrid misplaced their first recreation of the season
The final time Actual Madrid misplaced their opening recreation of the season was 18 years in the past, a 2-1 loss to Deportivo A Coruña in Galicia in August 2008. A Ruud van Nistelrooy equaliser early within the second half was cancelled out by Alberto Lopo solely 5 minutes later. Earlier than that loss to Dépor, Actual Madrid had most not too long ago misplaced in 2001, a 1-0 defeat at Mestalla. That ended one other prolonged streak, with the earlier defeat coming in 1984, when the season began with a Clásico, and was the final time Actual Madrid misplaced their first recreation of the season on the Bernabéu.
8 – Headed targets for Actual Madrid by Jude Bellingham
One of many belongings that Actual Madrid have missed because the departure of Joselu final summer season has been aerial energy, however Jude Bellingham confirmed that he can carry that choice to the occasion when he headed in from Arda Güler’s pinpoint free-kick. It’s Bellingham’s eighth headed purpose for Actual Madrid, seven coming in league competitors, and he has change into the one participant to have scored along with his head in La Liga for any workforce throughout every of the final 4 seasons.
89 – Touches from Ibrahima Konaté, greater than another participant
If anybody was involved that Ibrahima Konaté may need been rusty after a brief pre-season, this all-action show calmed their nerves. 89 touches was greater than another participant, together with extra defensive actions than anybody else with 9, and a robust 97% go completion fee throughout 75 passes. It was a press release debut from the French worldwide.
