A perfect opening that changes the mood
José Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu in June carried a simple promise: restore the bite that once defined Real Madrid. Three league matches into the 2026/27 season, that promise already looks believable. Madrid have taken all nine points available, sit at the top of La Liga, and have done it with a sharpness that was missing too often before.
The most striking part is not just the wins themselves, but the fact that this kind of start never arrived during Mourinho’s first spell in charge. Even with three full seasons in the dugout, he never opened a league campaign with three straight victories. This time, the response has been immediate.
- A narrow 2-1 away win at Espanyol set the tone.
- A 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad showed the attacking ceiling.
- A 4-0 demolition of Málaga confirmed the team is settling quickly.
That last result was the clearest signal yet. Madrid stayed in control from the first half, kept their shape, and finished the match without conceding. For a side trying to re-establish authority, that matters as much as the scoreline.
The pieces Mourinho wanted are already fitting
The summer rebuild was substantial, with the club investing close to £200 million to give Mourinho a squad better suited to his demands. The new arrivals are not decorative signings; each one appears tied to a specific problem the club wanted solved.
Marc Cucurella brought energy and balance on the left side after joining from Chelsea for about £52 million, and his first official start against Málaga showed how much control he can provide. Denzel Dumfries has added forward thrust from right back, giving Madrid a more aggressive outlet in wide areas. Ibrahima Konate, signed on a free transfer from Liverpool, offers authority at the centre of defence. Bernardo Silva arrived from Manchester City with the kind of experience and composure that can steady a title push.
The bigger story, though, is not simply the new names. It is how Mourinho has rearranged the team so those names work together instead of crowding the same spaces.
Bellingham has been given the right stage
The most noticeable tactical shift is Jude Bellingham’s position. Rather than asking him to compete directly with Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé for the same attacking lanes, Mourinho has placed him in a central pocket behind them. That gives Madrid a clearer shape and lets Bellingham do what he does best: arrive between the lines, link play, and attack from deep areas.
Against Málaga, the setup looked clean and purposeful. Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute, then forced an own goal seven minutes later to make the game comfortable early. Mbappé added the third, and Arda Güler, supplied by Vinícius Júnior, completed the scoring. The pattern was easy to read: central craft, wide pace, and constant pressure on the back line.
It is still early, and a hot start can fade quickly. Even so, the current version of Madrid looks more organised, more direct, and far less predictable than the team Mourinho inherited in June.
Why the caution still matters
Mourinho has not allowed the winning run to become a celebration of unfinished work. After a preseason victory over Deportivo, he kept the message plain and practical: “You know the five who are at Valdebebas. And next week, the real work begins.”
That mindset fits the moment. Real Madrid have gone two seasons without a major trophy, and a strong August does not erase that pressure. It does, however, create momentum. If this squad keeps defending with discipline and attacking with this level of clarity, the season could move in a much better direction than the last few have.
For now, the signs are encouraging. Mourinho has not only produced results; he has started to make Madrid look like a team with a defined edge again.
