Jude Bellingham Shines in Real Madrid's Dramatic Victory

Jude Bellingham needed nine minutes to remind La Liga exactly who he is.

At the RCDE Stadium, with Espanyol barely settled, the England midfielder rose above everyone to meet a wicked Arda Guler free-kick and thump a header past Marko Dmitrovic. One set piece, one leap, one ruthless finish. Real Madrid were up and running under Jose Mourinho.

For a while, it looked like a statement afternoon. Madrid pressed high, hunted in packs, and Espanyol staggered under the weight of it. Clemens Riedel almost ripped up the script with a 30-yard rocket, but Thibaut Courtois sprang across his goal to claw it away, a reminder that Madrid’s old guard still hold the line when the new era wobbles.

Then the tempo broke.

A stoppage to treat a cut above Dean Huijsen’s eye took some of the sting out of Madrid’s press, and Espanyol used the pause well. They began to breathe, to pass, to push back. The crowd sensed it. So did Madrid, who suddenly looked less sure of themselves.

Espanyol’s equaliser on the half-hour was everything their early nerves weren’t: sharp, daring, and clinical. Javi Hernandez danced down the byline, slipping past challenges and refusing to be shepherded wide, before cutting the ball back with precision. Alex Calatrava arrived in stride and swept his finish beyond Courtois. One chance, one clean strike, and the stadium roared itself back to life.

Madrid’s composure went with it. For a few minutes they looked rattled, Mourinho barking on the touchline as passes went astray and duels were lost. They could easily have walked down the tunnel behind. Roberto Fernandez found himself unmarked, staring at a gaping goal, only to waste a glorious headed chance that should have punished Real’s slack defending.

Kylian Mbappe, making his league debut under Mourinho, spent most of the first half running into a blue-and-white wall and a goalkeeper in inspired form. Dmitrovic denied him twice in quick succession – first spreading himself to block with his legs, then dropping low to smother a driven effort. The new superstar had arrived in La Liga, but Espanyol refused to play the role of welcoming committee.

The second half became a test of nerve as much as quality. Madrid had the ball, Espanyol had belief. Every Madrid attack felt half-a-touch off, every counter from the hosts carried a murmur of danger from the stands.

Mourinho, never one to watch a stalemate drift, turned to his bench. On came record-signing Yan Diomande, a debut wrapped in expectation. His impact was immediate. A deflected cross broke kindly for Federico Valverde on the edge of the box, and the Uruguayan unleashed a thunderous strike that smashed against the outside of the post. Dmitrovic could only watch and hope; the woodwork did the saving.

The pressure rose. So did Bellingham, again. From a Guler corner he powered another header toward goal, this time seeing it crash against the crossbar. Madrid were now camped in Espanyol territory, the game shrinking into the home side’s defensive third as the clock ticked down.

Yet the cutting edge still deserted them at key moments. Ten minutes from time, Mbappe’s frustration showed in a miscued half-volley that drifted aimlessly toward the corner flag, a finish that summed up his night: threatening positions, little end product.

Espanyol smelled a point. They defended deep, cleared their lines, and clung on as Madrid’s attacks grew more frantic. The draw felt within reach, almost deserved for their resilience.

Then came the sting.

In the first minute of added time, with Espanyol’s resistance almost complete, the substitute Espi pounced. Mbappe was crowded out in the area, the ball spilled loose, and Espi reacted quickest, slamming his finish past Dmitrovic. One swing, one release of tension, one eruption from the away end. A debut for Diomande, a late winner from Espi, and Mourinho’s first league game back in Spain ending exactly as so many of his big nights have: with his team celebrating in stoppage time.

The 2-1 victory extends Real Madrid’s remarkable record of avoiding defeat in their opening La Liga fixture to 18 straight seasons. For Mourinho, it’s seven wins from seven in managerial debuts, an unbeaten personal tradition he clearly has no intention of surrendering.

The performance showed the gaps, the misfires, the work still needed to knit Mbappe, Bellingham and the rest into a ruthless machine. But as the RCDE Stadium emptied, one truth lingered: the “Special One” has already restored the old Madrid habit that matters most – winning when the clock says they shouldn’t.