Real Madrid Impresses as Mourinho Praises Squad Growth

Real Madrid’s pre-season rhythm is starting to sound familiar: early control, clinical finishing, and a manager who looks increasingly convinced by what he sees.

Kylian Mbappe needed just six minutes to tilt the game Madrid’s way, pouncing on a loose back pass from Schallenberg and sliding his finish past Loris Karius. One mistake, ruthlessly punished. The tone was set.

From there, Madrid dictated. On 20 minutes, Arda Güler delivered the kind of corner that begs to be attacked, and Huijsen obliged, rising to thump in a header that doubled the lead. Two chances, two goals, and the contest already felt decided.

The scoreboard said routine. Mourinho’s post-match mood suggested something more important: progress.

Mourinho: “We Are Growing as a Team”

“At this moment, it’s difficult to talk individually because we are growing as a team,” Mourinho told Realmadrid TV, resisting the temptation to single out stars. “Here, we only have good players, very good players, and very, very, very good players. From the combination of the work of these players, we have to create a very, very good team. That’s what we’re trying to do, and I think we’re taking the right steps to achieve it.”

The steps are calculated. So are the minutes.

Mbappe and Konate were both given 45 minutes, enough to sharpen their edge without overloading. Jude Bellingham, along with new arrivals Cucurella and Diomande, played 30 minutes as Mourinho juggled conditioning, cohesion, and caution.

“Then, the question of 45 minutes for Mbappe and Konate or the 30 minutes for Bellingham, Cucurella, and Diomande are things that we analyze scientifically with the data we have,” he explained. “And with the most important factor, which is the player’s own experience, the knowledge the player has of their own body.”

Debuts Under a Relentless Sun

The debuts came right on the hour. Cucurella and Diomande stepped into the action as the temperature and intensity refused to drop. Mourinho was quick to underline just how demanding their introduction has been.

“I’m also very happy with those who arrived last,” he said. “It’s not easy to jump straight into high-intensity training like what we are doing. It’s not easy for them to have double sessions in the morning and afternoon, because they train in the morning with the group and in the afternoon with the small group that joined now. With incredible heat. The 5 p.m. training session is really tough, and they arrived with a top mentality.”

That mentality showed on the pitch. Madrid did not loosen their grip.

On 57 minutes, substitute Espí finished the job, timing his run perfectly to meet Carreras’ cross and sweep in the third. It was a simple goal, built on sharp movement and a precise delivery, but it underlined the depth Mourinho keeps referencing. The starters had done their part; the bench closed it out.

A Squad Built for the Long Haul

This was not about drama or late heroics. It was about control, structure, and a manager who believes his squad is edging towards the level he demands.

Mourinho framed the performance as another step in a carefully managed build-up.

“I think we’ve reached this good week, which is the next one, in a very acceptable condition for this moment in the season,” he said. “Let’s go for it.”

The goals were reassuring. The debuts were encouraging. The workload was brutal by design.

Now comes the real question: with this blend of stars, depth, and unforgiving preparation, just how far can this “very, very, very good” Madrid team go when the season truly starts to bite?