Jose Mourinho’s second spell as Real Madrid manager began with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Los Blancos before Alex Calatrava equalized for Espanyol in the 30th minute. Substitute Carlos Espi secured the win in the 90th minute, capping a late turnaround for Madrid .

Mourinho fielded a star-studded lineup, including Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham, alongside debutants Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate. Bellingham, playing in an attacking midfield role, headed in Arda Guler’s crossed free kick for the opener. Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic denied Mbappe later in the match, while Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois made key saves to preserve the lead .

In the Premier League, Hull City marked their return to the top flight with a 2-0 upset over Manchester United. Semi Ajayi scored the opener in the 17th minute, with Hull dominating from the start. The promoted side’s defense held firm, securing a clean sheet against a United team that had shown optimism after last season’s revival .

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde faces uncertainty under new manager Hansi Flick. The 23-year-old left-back, once a starter, now competes with João Cancelo, Gerard Martín, and young prospects like Jordi Pesquer and Xavi Espart for a role. Flick, when asked about Balde’s future, stated, “It’s a difficult question because he has enormous quality, and it’s important to know if a player is convinced to compete in his position.” Balde’s representatives met with agent Jorge Mendes on Friday, with interest from Manchester United and other Premier League clubs reported .

Liverpool’s season opener against Newcastle on Sunday will be their first without Mohamed Salah since 2015. Salah, now at Trabzonspor, leaves a significant void, having scored 257 goals for the Reds. Liverpool’s current top scorer, Cody Gakpo, has 50. The club has yet to secure a replacement, with a potential deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola under discussion .

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Jose Mourinhos second spell in charge of Real Madrid began with a last-gasp 2-1 victory at Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday, with substitute Carlos Espi pouncing in the 90th minute to grab the winner. u.afp.com/SV3e

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aljazeera · about 11 hours ago

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aljazeera · about 11 hours ago

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