Preview of Real Madrid vs Leganes at 23:00 on July 28, Summer Friendly

Preview of Real Madrid vs Leganes (23:00, 28/7). Prediction of results, expected lineups, expert analysis for the Real Madrid vs Leganes clash in the 2026 pre-season friendly.

Match Preview: Real Madrid vs Leganes

Real Madrid will step into their first friendly match of the 2026/27 pre-season with great attention, as this is the official debut of coach Jose Mourinho in his second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After a trophy-less 2025/26 season across all competitions, Real Madrid decided to undergo a major overhaul. Two managers, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, both left the post within a short period, forcing President Florentino Perez to bring Mourinho back. To complete the deal, the Royal club spent 15 million euros to release the Portuguese strategist from his contract with Benfica.

The return of "The Special One" brings expectations of a new successful cycle. However, Mourinho will not yet have his strongest squad for this match, as many key players such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Thibaut Courtois, Endrick, Denzel Dumfries, and Bernardo Silva are still on break after the 2026 World Cup.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid still possesses many notable young talents. Arda Guler has returned to training and is likely to be given a chance to shine, alongside Franco Mastantuono, Brahim Diaz, and Gonzalo Garcia. This will be an opportunity for Mourinho to assess the squad depth and test new tactical options before the stars regroup.

On the other side, Leganes has had a longer preparation period as this is their fifth friendly of the summer. However, their results have not been convincing. They only beat Penafiel, drew with Nacional and Albacete, and lost to Levante. Although they may have a better match rhythm than Real Madrid, Leganes will still find it difficult to cause an upset against a team with superior squad quality.

Leganes' biggest advantage lies in having an almost full squad and cohesion after several consecutive friendlies. However, the gap in class between the two teams remains huge. Even without fielding their strongest lineup, Real Madrid still has enough individuals to make a difference.

This is likely to be a match where Mourinho prioritizes controlling the game and experimenting with personnel rather than chasing the scoreline. Nevertheless, with superior squad quality and the motivation to make an impression on his debut, Los Blancos are still considered capable of securing a victory.

Team News: Real Madrid vs Leganes

Real Madrid: Absent: Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Denzel Dumfries, Endrick, and Bernardo Silva due to post-World Cup break. Arda Guler has returned to training.

Leganes: Have their strongest squad available.

Predicted Lineups: Real Madrid vs Leganes

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Fran Gonzalez; David Jimenez, Asencio, Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Pitarch, Cestero; Palacios, Brahim Diaz, Mastantuono; Gonzalo Garcia.

Leganes (4-3-3): Fernandez; Diawara, Figueredo, N. Garcia, Gothler; Gueye, Guirao, Marvel; Melero, Miquel, Rodriguez.

Real Madrid Form

25/05/2026: Real Madrid 2-1 Real Sociedad (La Liga)

18/05/2026: Sevilla 0-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)

14/05/2026: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (La Liga)

10/05/2026: Valencia 1-3 Real Madrid (La Liga)

04/05/2026: Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe (La Liga)

Leganes Form

22/07/2026: Leganes 1-1 Albacete (Friendly)

19/07/2026: Leganes 2-0 Penafiel (Friendly)

16/07/2026: Nacional 1-1 Leganes (Friendly)

12/07/2026: Levante 2-1 Leganes (Friendly)

25/05/2026: Leganes 1-2 Sporting Gijon (Segunda División)

Head-to-Head: Real Madrid vs Leganes

05/02/2023: Real Madrid 2-0 Leganes (Copa del Rey)

31/10/2019: Real Madrid 5-0 Leganes (La Liga)

16/04/2019: Leganes 1-1 Real Madrid (La Liga)

10/01/2019: Leganes 1-0 Real Madrid (Copa del Rey)

10/11/2018: Real Madrid 3-0 Leganes (La Liga)

Match Prediction: Real Madrid vs Leganes

Real Madrid do not have their full strongest squad, but the squad quality is still superior to Leganes. This will be the highly anticipated debut of Jose Mourinho, and the Portuguese coach certainly wants to start his new tenure with a positive result.

Leganes have the advantage of match rhythm and squad stability, but they will find it very difficult to withstand the pressure from the Royal club.

Predicted score: Real Madrid 2-1 Leganes