Real Madrid began their La Liga campaign this Saturday with a trip to face Espanyol Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium. José Mourinho’s side produced an encouraging opening spell but struggled to maintain their rhythm after Espanyol found a way back into the contest.
Several Madrid players delivered strong individual performances, particularly Ibrahima Konaté and Jude Bellingham, while others failed to make the expected impact in the attacking third. Here are our player ratings from Real Madrid’s first league outing of the season.
| Player | Rating | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Thibaut Courtois | 6/10 | Had very little to deal with overall. He produced a good save in the first half before making an awkward intervention that fortunately had no consequences. There was very little he could do about Espanyol’s goal. |
| Denzel Dumfries | 6.5/10 | A promising first start for the Dutchman. Very active going forward during the first half and disciplined defensively. A solid performance on his competitive debut for Madrid. |
| ⭐ Ibrahima Konaté | 7.5/10 | Outstanding performance from the French centre-back. Konaté was the leader of Madrid’s defence, showing tremendous strength, authority and composure. A huge display from the new signing in his first official appearance. |
| Dean Huijsen | 6/10 | Slightly passive on Espanyol’s goal, but his overall performance was satisfactory. Strong in aerial duels and generally comfortable when defending his area. |
| Álvaro Carreras | 4.5/10 | Offered too little in attack and rarely contributed to Madrid’s offensive combinations. That partly explained Cucurella’s introduction for the final 20 minutes. He also lost his man for Espanyol’s goal. |
| Bernardo Silva | 5/10 | Tried to dictate Madrid’s possession but struggled to improve the team collectively. His biggest difficulties came defensively, particularly when Madrid needed to recover the ball quickly. |
| Federico Valverde | 6/10 | The better performer in Madrid’s double pivot. His tremendous defensive work rate helped protect the back four, although his contribution in progressing the ball was limited. |
| Jude Bellingham | 7/10 | Scored with a header and delivered an excellent overall performance. Despite returning late to training, the Englishman looked sharp and was arguably Madrid’s biggest attacking threat. |
| Vinícius Jr. | 4/10 | Drew several fouls and became slightly more dangerous late in the game, but the decisive spark was still missing. Another frustrating evening by his standards. |
| Kylian Mbappé | 5/10 | Produced two excellent movements in the first half without finishing the opportunities. He also had a major chance after the break. His movement was encouraging, but his lack of efficiency proved costly. |
| Arda Güler | 6.5/10 | One of Madrid’s better players. Used in a slightly different role from pre-season, starting wider on the right, but remained heavily involved and provided the decisive delivery for Bellingham’s goal. |
| José Mourinho | 5.5/10 | Madrid started the match very well, but Espanyol’s equaliser disrupted their momentum. Mourinho’s substitutions nevertheless had an impact, with Carlos Espí coming off the bench to score. |
Konaté makes an immediate statement
The standout performer was undoubtedly Ibrahima Konaté. For a player making his first official appearance for Real Madrid, the French defender looked remarkably comfortable. He imposed himself physically, won important duels and repeatedly brought calm to Mourinho’s back line.
His 7.5/10 rating reflects a performance full of authority. Whenever Espanyol attempted to attack directly, Konaté was usually in the right position to intervene. It was exactly the type of display Madrid hoped to see after recruiting him to strengthen their defence.
Alongside him, Huijsen was generally reliable, although his positioning could have been better during Espanyol’s goal.
Bellingham already decisive
At the other end of the pitch, Jude Bellingham once again demonstrated his ability to influence important moments. Despite joining the squad later than several teammates during preparations for the new season, the England international looked physically ready.
His headed goal rewarded an energetic performance in which he regularly moved between the lines and attacked the penalty area. Bellingham appeared more dangerous than most of Madrid’s forwards and emerged as the team’s leading attacking figure.
Arda Güler also deserves credit. Mourinho positioned him further towards the right flank than during pre-season, yet the Turkish midfielder remained highly involved. His assist for Bellingham demonstrated his technical quality and vision.
Vinícius and Mbappé lack efficiency
Madrid’s biggest frustration came from its superstar attacking duo.
Vinícius Jr. struggled to impose himself for long periods. Although his acceleration forced Espanyol defenders into several fouls, he rarely created genuine danger. His performance improved slightly towards the end, but it remained below the standards expected from one of Madrid’s main attacking leaders.
Kylian Mbappé, meanwhile, was more involved but equally wasteful. His movement caused problems and he created openings for himself, particularly during the first half. However, he failed to convert his opportunities.
Carlos Espi est le NOUVEAU JOSELU ! ✅🤍
— RMadrid actu 🇫🇷 (@RMadrid_actu) August 22, 2026
Point commun: Ils sauvent le Real Madrid. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/VNeLz8ZoU5
For Mourinho, there were both positives and warning signs. Madrid’s opening phase showed plenty of promise, but the team lost control after Espanyol responded. The Portuguese coach’s 5.5/10 reflects those difficulties, although the impact of substitute Carlos Espí, who found the net after coming on, was an encouraging sign.
Overall, Konaté and Bellingham were the two major positives, while Madrid will expect considerably more from Vinícius and Mbappé as the season progresses.
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