Real Madrid: Mourinho's Friendliness

Real Madrid secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Leganes in their second warm-up match before the 2026-27 campaign, with Jose Mourinho being notably cordial to journalists.

The massive stadiums in the US have been replaced by "mini derbies" held right at the Valdebebas training center. Due to a lack of squad depth and limited media access, Mourinho 2.0's Real Madrid has yet to reveal its tactical blueprint.

A Change in Preparation

Real Madrid's preseason routines have undergone a major transformation. Gone are the days of flashy tours in the US (perhaps partly because the World Cup just took place in North America), where the Royal club would regularly face European giants like Manchester City or Barcelona. Now, the Madrid-based club has chosen to stay at the Valdebebas training center—specifically, the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium within its training complex, which was previously used during the post-COVID return of football with matches behind closed doors. It can be said that the approach to preparing for the new season has changed almost completely.

During this preseason, Real Madrid has played what they call "training matches" ("partidos de entrenamiento" in Spanish)—games that sit somewhere between a practice session and a friendly, but are neither fully one nor the other. The first took place last Friday against Alcorcon, with Real Madrid winning 1-0 on the day Jose Mourinho officially debuted. This Tuesday, Leganes became the next visiting team. Notably, Leganes is also the former club of Yan Diomande, a player soon to join Mourinho's squad. This time, Real Madrid won by a larger margin, 4-1.

In the match against Alcorcon, all eyes were on Mourinho. The Portuguese manager appeared calm, reserved, and rather cold, at least during the first 20 minutes when the press was allowed to observe. What was recorded was an image of him with his hands in his pockets, hardly giving any instructions or reacting.

However, this time the atmosphere was a bit more open. The media's access time was extended to 45 minutes, and Mourinho made a friendly gesture. Before stepping onto the field to oversee the warm-up, he proactively walked over to the press area in the stands to greet them. A small act, but enough to create goodwill and mark the start of a new relationship. It seems Mourinho wants things to be different from his previous stint in charge of Real Madrid (2010-2013).

Keeping Tactics Under Wraps

Real Madrid's squad is still not at full strength. The World Cup has left many players still on holiday. Therefore, the same names who played against Alcorcon—such as Andriy Lunin, Arda Guler, Dean Huijsen, Eduardo Camavinga, Raul Asencio, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alvaro Carreras, Gonzalo, and Franco Mastantuono—continued to feature.

The new element was the return of Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan midfielder did not play in the previous "derby" because he had only completed one training session, but he was still present in the stands alongside injured players Rodrygo and Eder Militao. The Brazilian duo continued to watch the match against Leganes as genuine spectators. This time, they were joined by young talent Thiago Pitarch, who has been sidelined for a month and a half due to a torn ligament in his left knee.

Although there are no more glamorous tours in the US, Real Madrid will still have international friendlies in the coming weeks. On August 1, the team will travel to Austria to face Fiorentina. On August 8, they head to Hungary to take on Ferencvaros. The final friendly will be closer to home, at the Riazor stadium, where Real Madrid will meet Deportivo La Coruna in the Teresa Herrera tournament on August 12. Depor has just returned to La Liga after a period in the shadows.

Since last season, when the FIFA Club World Cup also prevented Real Madrid from having a traditional preseason, the "Los Blancos" preparation process has changed significantly. The club has replaced lengthy tours with controlled training sessions at Valdebebas, combining closed-door matches and training plans adjusted to an increasingly congested schedule.

Against Leganes, Real Madrid displayed a strong attacking style, with more direct and aggressive football. On the flip side, they were also vulnerable to counterattacks, an issue that Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa could not resolve last season. In a play just before half-time, the ball was passed to the left flank; Nami controlled it, dribbled past Trent—who had a disappointing season last year—cut inside, and fired a shot into the far corner of the net. The Di Stefano stadium fell silent. A spectacular goal. Mourinho grimaced, though he mostly kept his composure. Going forward, he will have to devise a plan to reduce turnovers, because Real Madrid is susceptible to counterattacks. Regardless, this is still just the warm-up. The real test will begin on August 22, when Real Madrid face Espanyol in Catalonia, in the first official match of the season. For now, it's all about waiting.