Jude Bellingham Shines in Real Madrid's Dramatic La Liga Victory

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

At the RCDE Stadium, with the noise still settling, the England midfielder rose above everyone to thump in a header from a beautifully flighted Arda Guler free-kick. One set-piece, one leap, one ruthless finish. Real Madrid were in front, and Espanyol were rocking.

Madrid’s press bit hard in those opening exchanges. White shirts swarmed, passes were rushed, and Espanyol looked a touch overwhelmed. Then, out of nowhere, came a warning. Clemens Riedel stepped onto a loose ball from 30 yards and unleashed a vicious strike that forced Thibaut Courtois into a sharp, two-fisted save. It was a reminder that this wasn’t going to be a procession.

The tempo dipped briefly when Dean Huijsen needed treatment for a cut above his eye, and that pause seemed to help the home side breathe. They began to pass with more conviction, to step into tackles instead of retreating. The crowd sensed it. So did Madrid.

The pressure told on the half-hour. Javi Hernandez carved Real open down the flank with a slaloming run, wriggling to the byline before pulling the ball back with precision. Alex Calatrava met it first time, sweeping his finish past Courtois to level the match. From cruising, Madrid suddenly looked shaken.

Espanyol smelled blood. Real’s composure vanished for a spell, passes went astray, and their defensive line wobbled. They should have trailed at the break. Roberto Fernandez found himself unmarked in front of a gaping goal, only to misjudge his header and let Madrid off the hook. It felt like a moment that might haunt the hosts.

Kylian Mbappe, making his league debut under Jose Mourinho, never quite found the space he craved. Whenever he did break free, Marko Dmitrovic was there to shut the door. The Serbian goalkeeper spread himself brilliantly to block one Mbappe effort with his legs, then got down smartly to smother a low drive. The superstar had arrived in La Liga, but Dmitrovic refused to play the role of victim.

Mourinho, of course, was never going to sit and watch the stalemate drift. He turned to his bench and unleashed record signing Yan Diomande. Fresh legs, fresh pace, and almost instant impact. A deflected cross dropped invitingly for Federico Valverde on the edge of the box, and the Uruguayan hammered a shot that clattered the outside of the post. Espanyol survived by inches.

Bellingham kept dragging Madrid forward. Another towering header, this time from a Guler corner, crashed against the crossbar as the visitors turned the screw. The game tightened, the tension thickened, and yet Real’s cutting edge kept deserting them at the crucial moment.

Nothing summed that up more than Mbappe’s late miscue. Ten minutes from time, the ball sat up for a half-volley in a promising position. Instead of ripping into the net, it skewed tamely and drifted towards the corner flag. For a player of his standards, it was a glaring misfire, and it seemed to confirm that this might not be Madrid’s night.

Espanyol could almost touch a point. They had bent but not broken, frustrated Mbappe, ridden their luck when needed. The clock ticked into added time with the home fans ready to celebrate a statement draw.

Then came the twist.

In the first minute of stoppage time, chaos in the box after Mbappe was crowded out left the ball loose. Substitute Espi reacted quickest, pouncing and slamming his finish into the net. One instinctive strike, and the entire narrative flipped. From dropped points to a classic Madrid escape, all in a heartbeat.

The late winner stretched Real Madrid’s remarkable run of avoiding defeat in opening La Liga fixtures to 18 straight seasons. For Mourinho, it was another personal milestone: a seventh consecutive victory in debut matches as a manager.

The performance showed the rough edges of a side still learning each other’s movements, still folding big names into a familiar shirt. But the ending told a different story. Mourinho is back, the new era has started with a win, and Real Madrid have already reminded the league of an old truth: they are never truly beaten until the final whistle.