Jose Mourinho began his second spell as Real Madrid manager with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol, sealed by a 90th-minute goal from debutant Carlos Espi.

Real Madrid took an early lead in the ninth minute when England midfielder Jude Bellingham headed home Arda Guler’s free-kick.

Espanyol responded in the 30th minute, with summer signing Cala finishing Javi Hernandez’s cut-back at the far post to restore parity.

Real Madrid dominated much of the match and came close to reclaiming the lead on several occasions. Bellingham saw another header tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic, while Federico Valverde’s curling effort struck the base of the post.

Mourinho turned to his bench in search of a breakthrough, introducing several new signings, including Espi, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The changes paid off in the closing stages. Diomande picked out Kylian Mbappe inside the penalty area before the ball fell to Espi, who calmly converted to give Madrid a late victory.

The result marked a winning start for Mourinho, who was appointed on a three-year contract in July. The Portuguese manager also handed competitive debuts to Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva.

Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid began in 2010 and lasted three seasons, during which he won the La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.

The 63-year-old has won 26 major trophies during his managerial career, including three Premier League titles with Chelsea and Champions League triumphs with Porto and Inter Milan.

Real Madrid have gone two consecutive seasons without winning a trophy and parted company with Xabi Alonso in January, with Alvaro Arbeloa taking temporary charge for the remainder of the campaign.