Real Madrid returned to work at Ciudad Real Madrid after completing their pre-season with a convincing victory over Schalke 04. José Mourinho’s squad has now turned its full attention to the start of the 2026/27 La Liga campaign, with the first league challenge just days away.
Following the win against Schalke 04 in their final friendly of the summer, the Madrid players completed their first training session of the week at Valdebebas. The objective is now clear: arrive in the best possible condition for the opening La Liga fixture against Espanyol.
Real Madrid will begin their league campaign at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday at 9:30 p.m., in what will be the first official domestic test for Mourinho’s new-look side. After several weeks of preparation, tactical adjustments and friendly matches, the Portuguese coach is now focusing on the final details before the competitive season gets underway.
The training session began with the players completing a period of gym work, focusing mainly on physical conditioning and activation. Once that first phase was completed, the squad moved onto the training pitches at Ciudad Real Madrid.
Mourinho and his coaching staff then divided the players into different working groups. One group alternated between ball exercises and physical drills without the ball, while the rest of the squad worked on several tactical situations.
Particular attention was paid to pressing, team organisation and playing out from the back, three areas that have been regularly worked on throughout Real Madrid’s pre-season. Mourinho continues to demand intensity from his players both in and out of possession as he looks to establish his footballing principles ahead of the new campaign.
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The session concluded with a series of small-sided and full-sided matches featuring different tactical variations. These exercises allowed the coaching staff to test different systems, movements and combinations ahead of the clash with Espanyol.
Real Madrid arrive at the start of the season in positive spirits following their 3-0 victory over Schalke 04. The friendly in Germany offered Mourinho another opportunity to assess his squad and give minutes to players who joined the preparation later than others.
There was also separate work for several members of the squad. Raúl Asencio, Thiago, Ferland Mendy and Éder Militão continued with their respective individual programmes. The four players worked inside the club’s facilities before carrying out individual exercises on the pitch as they continue their recovery and physical preparation.
With the pre-season officially over, the focus at Real Madrid is now entirely on La Liga. Mourinho still has several decisions to make regarding his starting eleven, but the final preparations are underway.
The countdown has begun. Real Madrid’s 2026/27 La Liga campaign is about to start, and the first objective will be to leave the RCDE Stadium with all three points.
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