Real Madrid ended their pre-season schedule in fine style on Sunday with a resounding 3-0 victory over Schalke at the VELTINS-Arena. Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and summer signing Carlos Espi all scored for Los Blancos, who won four of their five fixtures in the lead-up to the 2026-27 campaign starting next weekend.
As per MD, head coach Jose Mourinho spoke to Real Madrid TV to discuss where he sees his side ahead of the season opener against Espanyol next week. He admitted that he is pleased with everyone’s condition, including those who only just returned following an extended break after the 2026 World Cup.
“At the moment, it’s difficult to speak individually, because we’re growing as a team. Here we only have good, very good and very, very good players. From the combination of the work of these players we have to make a very good team. I think we are taking the right steps to do it.
“I’m very happy with the last ones who arrived, it’s not easy to get into a high intensity, have a double session morning and afternoon, an incredible heat, and they arrived with a top mentality. The question of 45 minutes for Kylian, for Konate, 30 for Jude, Cucurella, Diomande, are things that we analyse scientifically with data we have and with the player’s own experience, the knowledge of his body. We arrive in a very acceptable condition for this moment of the season.”
Mourinho: We’re starting to look like a team
Mourinho is also pleased with how his players are becoming a cohesive unit, and he expects things to get better and better as they all get up to match speed.
“There is a difference in pace, but tactically the ideas are gradually going. Players of superior quality, incredible. Working very well as a team, with the ball, without the ball, a very good test, a very good last training session before starting the good part, which is to really compete, to fight for points. It’s what we like.
“We are all here. The players are excited. If they are not there, we have a problem. They are showing that they are there. Small big details, people who had to show up one day come earlier, the people who come on the last day prepared very well individually, we are playing as a team, there is empathy and collective work, the team is looking like a team.”