Real Madrid 1-0 Deportivo de A Coruna: Mourinho's Men Hold on for Victory

Real Madrid made it back-to-back wins under Jose Mourinho, claiming a hard-fought 1-0 victory over newly-promoted LaLiga rivals Deportivo de A Coruna at Estadio Abanca-Riazor. Brahim Diaz scored the only goal as Los Blancos overcame a tough test in their penultimate pre-season outing.

Sluggish Start from Madrid

Vinicius Junior made his first start since signing a new six-year contract and captained his side, but Madrid struggled to create any clear-cut opportunities in the opening stages. Endrick's neat flick from Arda Guler's wicked free-kick was palmed to safety by Leo Roman, before Dean Huijsen and Denzel Dumfries both spooned efforts over the crossbar.

Brahim's Clinical Finish Breaks the Deadlock

Madrid broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time when Brahim brilliantly chested down Andrii Lunin's long throw before slotting in at Roman's near post. Federico Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold and summer signing Carlos Espi were all introduced at the break, but their arrivals failed to spark Madrid to further goals.

Defensive Resilience Secures the Win

Lunin was called into action in the 72nd minute by Zakaria Eddahchouri's shot from just outside the box, with the Madrid goalkeeper then saving with his feet to deny a volley from Miguel Loureiro as Mourinho's men held on for a comfortable victory. Madrid restricted Deportivo to an expected goals (xG) figure of 0.34 from their 10 attempts, while they managed 1.09 xG from 13 shots of their own.

Mourinho Secures Silverware, but Questions Remain

The victory saw Madrid claim the Teresa Herrera Trophy for the 10th time—their first since 2013. However, Mourinho will know improvements are needed, particularly in the final third. Madrid's lack of spark in attack was evident in the absence of Kylian Mbappe, with Los Blancos' full-backs providing most of the threat. Denzel Dumfries finished with team-high totals for shots (four) and touches in the opposition box (six), while Arda Guler, Alvaro Carreras and Trent Alexander-Arnold created the most chances for the side.

Madrid have one final pre-season fixture against Schalke before their LaLiga opener against Espanyol on August 22.