OFFICIAL: Real Madrid’s starting XI against Real Sociedad!

Real Madrid have officially announced their starting XI to face Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabéu, with José Mourinho making several important changes for his first competitive home match since returning to the Spanish capital.

After beginning their La Liga campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory away to Espanyol, Madrid are looking to make it two wins from two and maintain their perfect start to the 2026/27 season. Mourinho has decided to freshen up his team, particularly in defence, while keeping his main attacking stars together.

OFFICIAL: Real Madrid's starting XI against Real Sociedad!

The official Real Madrid starting XI is:

Starting lineup

4-3-3

Thibaut Courtois keeps his place in goal and will once again be one of the leaders of the Madrid side. In front of him, Mourinho has made two notable defensive changes compared with the team that started against Espanyol.

Denzel Dumfries continues at right-back, while Ibrahima Konaté retains Mourinho’s confidence after an encouraging competitive debut. However, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras drop out of the starting XI. Antonio Rüdiger returns to partner Konaté in central defence, with Marc Cucurella starting on the left.

The decision gives Mourinho a more experienced and aggressive defensive unit for what could be a demanding encounter against Real Sociedad.

In midfield, Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva form the base of the team. Valverde’s intensity and ability to cover ground should provide balance, while Bernardo will be expected to control possession and dictate the rhythm of Madrid‘s attacks.

Ahead of them, Mourinho has once again placed Jude Bellingham in an advanced position. The England international opened the scoring against Espanyol and remains one of Real Madrid’s biggest threats when arriving inside the penalty area.

Arda Güler also keeps his place. The Turkish international will operate from the right side but is expected to move inside regularly, allowing Dumfries to provide width with his forward runs.

There are no surprises with Madrid’s two biggest attacking stars. Vinícius Júnior starts from the left, while Kylian Mbappé leads the attack. Mourinho will hope their pace and movement can cause serious problems for the visitors.

The match also carries special significance for the Portuguese coach. It represents Mourinho’s competitive return to the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid manager, 13 years after his previous spell at the club ended.

Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 CEST on Wednesday, August 26, with Madrid looking to secure another three points and give Mourinho the perfect result on his return to the Bernabéu.

All eyes will now be on Mbappé, Vinícius, Bellingham and Güler as Real Madrid unveil an extremely attacking lineup for their first home game of the new La Liga season.