In a recent pre-season friendly, Real Madrid managed to secure a 1-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruña, thanks to a goal from Brahim Díaz, who found the net just before halftime.
Recent additions Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries were included in the starting lineup for the match in Galicia, while fellow newcomer Carlos Espí came on during halftime.
Real Madrid was missing several key players, with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, and Ibrahima Konaté all training at the club’s Valdebebas facility instead of participating in the match.
Díaz, aged 27, scored the match’s sole goal in the 46th minute, placing a low shot past Depor goalkeeper Leo Román.
Held at Riazor as part of Depor’s traditional Teresa Herrera Trophy, this was Real Madrid’s third pre-season match under new coach José Mourinho, following a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina and a 2-1 win over Ferencváros.
“It was a serious match against a team that has returned to LaLiga. They pushed us to play seriously; it was a challenging game,” Mourinho commented post-match. “I had to rotate players, as I don’t want to overexert the same ones. Winning is important, but more so is the process of gaining experience and playing time. I was pleased with how we managed to adapt through so many changes.”
Next, Madrid will face Schalke on August 16 before kicking off their LaLiga season against Espanyol on August 22.
“We will encounter many away matches like this in the league, where you find yourself unable to finish the game decisively and still secure a 1-0 win, just as we did,” Mourinho added. “There are many positives from this game, and the team is progressing, even with five players left back at Valdebebas. We are moving forward step by step.”