Deportivo's Return to La Liga: Facing Real Madrid in Trofeo Teresa Herrera

Deportivo’s return to La Liga gets a fitting curtain-raiser on Wednesday night: Real Madrid under the Riazor lights, the 81st Trofeo Teresa Herrera, and a stadium that has waited eight long years to feel like this again.

It is only pre-season on paper. It will not feel like it in A Coruña.

Dépor back in the big time, and spending like it

Antonio Hidalgo’s side come into this game unbeaten in six summer outings and carrying the swagger of a club that has finally stopped looking over its shoulder.

They have put close to €30m into this squad, a statement spend for a newly promoted side. Leo Román has arrived to anchor the defence, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brings goals, experience and a name that still turns heads. The Italian tour delivered silverware too: Kevin Sánchez’s late strike at the Luigi Ferraris sealed the Trofeo Spagnolo and underlined their growing resilience.

The numbers back that up. Dépor have conceded only three goals all summer. They opened pre-season with three straight clean sheets – a 4-0 dismantling of Compostela, a solid 0-0 against Oviedo and a 1-0 win over Lugo – before a composed 1-1 draw with Fiorentina and that 1-0 victory over Genoa.

There is a flaw, though. The Italian trip exposed problems defending crosses, an issue that will not have gone unnoticed in the opposite dugout. Yeremay Hernández remains on a managed workload with the physios, so Hidalgo still cannot lean fully on one of his brightest attacking sparks.

Even so, this is a side that scores. Dépor have found the net in five of their six friendlies, only drawing a blank in that stalemate at Oviedo. Aubameyang is expected to lead the line again, supported by Luismi Cruz and Mario Soriano, with Nsongo Bil offering power and depth in attack.

Mourinho’s Madrid still taking shape

On the other bench, José Mourinho has finally ticked off his first pre-season win as Real Madrid coach, a 2-1 victory away to Ferencváros. It should have come earlier. Against Fiorentina, his team raced into a 2-0 lead only to let it slip, a reminder that this Madrid is still being stitched together.

This is not yet the full-strength version. Kylian Mbappé, Aurelien Tchouaméni, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahim Konaté only returned to training on Monday after extended post-World Cup breaks. Jude Bellingham is still to join in. Militão, Rodrygo, Mendy and Asensio remain sidelined.

So Mourinho leans on a patched-up defence and hungry squad players. Lunin is set to start in goal, with Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to line up on the right of a back four that should also feature Huijsen, Joan Martínez and Carreras. In midfield, Valverde and Camavinga provide legs and control, while Arda Güler links play to a front line of Bernardo Silva, Vinícius Júnior and Endrick.

That front three alone can tear open any pre-season back line. The problem lies behind them. Madrid have conceded in each of their three public outings so far. Piccoli and Kean dragged Fiorentina back from 2-0 down, and Ferencváros also found a way through in Budapest. With Militão out and the back four relying heavily on academy products and new combinations, a clean sheet looks like a bonus rather than an expectation.

A trophy with history, and a game with an edge

This will be Real Madrid’s first appearance at the Trofeo Teresa Herrera since 2013. The tournament has long been one of Europe’s classic summer invitations, and for Dépor it doubles as a celebration of their return to the top flight.

The stakes are emotional rather than competitive, yet the patterns of the summer suggest a certain type of game.

Four of Deportivo’s six pre-season matches have finished with three goals or fewer. Hidalgo’s team are compact, organised and not interested in turning friendlies into basketball scores. With Yeremay still being eased back and Madrid’s big names only just rejoining the group, another controlled, low-scoring contest is a strong possibility rather than a surprise.

That points to clear value in backing under 3.5 goals at the Riazor, with odds of 1.83 reflecting the defensive discipline Dépor have shown and the fact Madrid are still in the build-up phase of their summer.

Madrid’s firepower, Dépor’s punch

Yet low scoring does not mean lifeless.

Deportivo have hit the net in five of six friendlies, and with Aubameyang leading the line against a makeshift Madrid defence, they have every chance of extending that run. The hosts will target Madrid’s aerial frailties and the unfamiliarity in Mourinho’s back four, especially from wide areas where Angeliño can deliver with quality.

On the other side, Madrid’s attacking depth should tell. Endrick has already shown his sharpness this summer, Vinícius Júnior remains a constant threat between the lines and in behind, and Arda Güler offers creativity and shooting from range. Even if Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Cucurella and Konaté are only fit enough for the bench, their presence adds another layer of danger if they step on late.

Put those strands together and one outcome stands out: Real Madrid to win with both teams scoring. The price of 2.40 reflects the balance between Madrid’s superior firepower and their vulnerability at the back. Dépor have enough about them to land a punch; Madrid still look too strong not to win the bout.

Fast starts, then reinforcements

One thing has been consistent in Madrid’s summer: they start quickly.

Mourinho’s side have led at half-time in each of their last two friendlies. Against Fiorentina, they were 2-0 up inside 24 minutes through Endrick and Alexis Ciria, eventually going in 2-1 ahead at the break. In Budapest, Mario Rivas struck in the 41st minute and Carlos Espí added a second in a 2-1 win.

With the returning stars still short of full fitness, this game should follow a similar script. The players who already have minutes in their legs will look to impose themselves early, knowing that any Galacticos on the bench can be unleashed later to manage the closing stages.

That makes a half-time/full-time Madrid-Madrid result particularly attractive at 1.75. The pattern is clear: sharp openings, a strong first 45 minutes, and enough depth to see the job through even if the performance frays slightly as changes roll in.

Predicted score and key names

All signs point to a competitive, controlled game rather than a chaotic one. Deportivo’s structure and home crowd should keep them in it; Madrid’s individual quality should tilt it their way.

A 2-1 Real Madrid win feels like the natural landing spot. Aubameyang carries Dépor’s main goal threat, while Vinícius Júnior and Endrick look the likeliest to make the difference for the visitors.

For Dépor, it is a chance to measure themselves against the elite again, under their own lights, with a trophy on the line and La Liga looming. For Mourinho’s Madrid, it is another step in a pre-season that is starting to reveal a clear pattern: goals, gaps at the back, and a sense that once the missing stars are fully integrated, this team could look very different when the real business begins.