Mourinho’s Madrid Opens Preseason with Experimental XI

Real Madrid eased into their preseason with a low-key but revealing friendly against Alcorcón, and José Mourinho wasted no time showing his hand. This was not a gentle jog in a 4-4-2. It was a clear statement: 4-2-3-1, structure, and responsibility from the first whistle.

Eduardo Camavinga and Cestero anchored the double pivot, charged with knitting together a side that mixed established names with hungry hopefuls. Ahead of them, Arda Güler took the central creative role as the No. 10, operating behind Gonzalo and Valero, with Mastantuono stretching the game from the flanks.

At the back, Mourinho handed the right side to Alexander-Arnold, a bold call in a preseason opener that instantly tilted Madrid’s build-up play towards his side. Huijsen and Asencio formed the central pairing, while Carreras patrolled the left. Lunin started in goal, offering a familiar presence behind an experimental back four.

The opening 25 minutes, played in front of the watching media, had the feel of a team still learning each other’s movements but already pushing hard. Madrid carved out the game’s clearest chance when Mastantuono, sharp and direct, forced the key moment of the half and won a penalty.

This was Güler’s stage. His run-up was confident, the strike clean enough, but Alcorcón’s goalkeeper guessed right and beat the ball away. A big chance gone, and a small early jolt to a young playmaker who had been handed the keys between the lines.

The miss did not change the pattern. Madrid controlled the ball, tried to impose Mourinho’s structure, and kept Alcorcón largely penned in, but the final touch never quite matched the approach play. The first half closed at 0-0, the scoreline underlining what preseason often is: a laboratory, not a verdict.

Now comes the other half of Mourinho’s plan. With the interval arrived, the expectation is a wave of changes, Castilla talent stepping into the spotlight, and minutes spread across a squad still building its legs. The result will fade quickly. The real story starts with who seizes this first, quiet audition.