Madrid’s New Ruthless Rhythm Under Mourinho
A fast start that changes the mood
Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bernabéu has quickly given Real Madrid a sharper edge, and the early signs are hard to ignore. Three league matches into the 2026/27 season, the club has taken all nine available points, climbed to the top of the table, and done it with a level of control that feels deliberately engineered rather than accidental.
The opening run has also produced an awkward little footnote for the manager himself: during his first spell in charge, he never began a league campaign with three straight wins. This time, the team has already matched that target before September has properly settled in.
It is still early, of course, and football can turn quickly. Even so, a perfect opening has a way of changing the atmosphere around a club that has spent too long searching for stability.
How the first three matches unfolded
Real Madrid’s start has not been flashy in every moment, but it has been efficient and convincing. The side opened with a 2-1 away win against Espanyol, then followed that with a 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad. On 30 August, Malaga were swept aside 4-0 at the Bernabéu, with Madrid keeping a clean sheet for the first time in the run.
That final match told the story most clearly. Madrid played with pace, balance, and a sense that several key pieces are already working in sync.
- Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute.
- Bellingham then forced an own goal seven minutes later to make it 2-0.
- Kylian Mbappé added the third goal.
- Arda Güler, set up by Vinicius Junior, completed the scoring.
The result was more than just another win. It suggested a team that knows where to press, when to accelerate, and how to punish mistakes without needing many invitations.
Why this version looks different
The summer overhaul behind the results matters just as much as the scorelines. Real Madrid invested heavily around Mourinho, spending close to £200 million to reshape the squad with players who appear to fit very specific roles.
- Marc Cucurella arrived from Chelsea for about £52 million and made his first official start against Malaga, where he helped steady the left side.
- Denzel Dumfries came in from Inter Milan and gives the team a far more aggressive option on the right.
- Ibrahima Konaté joined on a free transfer from Liverpool to strengthen the centre of defence.
- Bernardo Silva signed on a free transfer from Manchester City, adding control, intelligence, and proven experience.
Those additions do not just improve depth. They change the profile of the team, giving Mourinho more room to build a side that can attack with purpose and recover shape quickly when possession is lost.
Bellingham gets the central stage
The most interesting tactical shift is the role assigned to Bellingham. Rather than asking him to fight for the same pockets as Vinicius Junior and Mbappé, Mourinho has placed him in a central pocket behind both forwards. That gives Madrid a cleaner structure in attack and makes Bellingham the link rather than one more runner looking for the same ball.
The logic is simple: let the wide and forward players stretch opponents vertically, then use Bellingham to work between the lines where his timing and passing can matter most. With the new back line providing more security, Madrid can afford to commit more numbers forward without feeling exposed every time possession changes hands.
Why Mourinho is not celebrating too early
Even with the perfect start, Mourinho has kept the message measured. After a preseason win over Deportivo, he underlined that the real work had not yet begun, saying,
“You know the five who are at Valdebebas. And next week, the real work begins.”
That kind of warning fits the mood around a club that has gone two seasons without a major trophy. Early points bring optimism, but they do not settle expectations at Real Madrid. What they do provide is proof that the squad, the manager, and the summer rebuild are already pointing in the same direction.
For now, Mourinho has what he needed most: momentum, buy-in, and a team that looks far more like a finished project than a work in progress.
