According to reports from AS, the experimental phase is over. In Mourinho’s own words, the real‑deal “main show” is about to begin. Ahead of the league opener against Espanyol, he has fully assessed his players across six matches. Real Madrid concluded their pre‑season campaign with an unbeaten record of five wins and one draw, with their form steadily on the rise.
This is reflected not only in the team’s general feel on the pitch but also in results and statistics: Real Madrid kept clean sheets against Deportivo La Coruña and Schalke 04, heading to the RCD Stadium boasting an impressive 243‑minute run without conceding a goal. Despite these positive impressions and solid evidence, Mourinho has not yet revealed all his cards. To be precise, he is still unable to do so.
Half of the squad, almost half the team, only got minutes in the match played in Germany last Sunday, while the other half are sidelined in the treatment room. These six pre‑season games have established the team’s framework while leaving several question marks unresolved. On the team level, consensus appears to have been reached regarding the choice of formation.
Mourinho has settled on the 4‑2‑3‑1 formation. Based on matches so far, it represents the optimal solution to accommodate the four attacking stars: Yan Diomande, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé. Nevertheless, this quartet has yet to take the field together. Vinicius Junior was the first among them to return and featured in three friendly fixtures.
His three attacking partners only came back in the final week and only played against Schalke 04. During those 25 minutes in that fixture, the public finally saw the three‑man attacking line supporting Mbappé. Yan Diomande, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior all took to the pitch in Gelsenkirchen, though Carlos Espí occupied the central striking position instead of the French superstar.
Even though the formation is confirmed, it still allows for certain tactical flexibility, with Bernardo Silva serving as the linchpin. Early in the second half at the Riazor Stadium, Mourinho tested a three‑man midfield setup: Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, plus Bernardo Silva, who drifted between attacking‑midfielder and left‑midfielder roles. This may constitute advance preparation for the versatile role Jude Bellingham could play throughout the season.
Double pivot and centre‑back pairing
Moving on to the double‑pivot positions, Mourinho’s preferred starting partnership remains up in the air. In the race for spots in the first‑choice lineup, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva look set to compete for these two vital roles, with Eduardo Camavinga as an alternative option.
Camavinga’s situation is quite dramatic: he is the fourth‑most‑used player under Mourinho, though this is partly due to external circumstances. Having skipped the World Cup, he has been involved from day one of pre‑season, unlike the other three contenders. The competitive level he has displayed has not quieted the debates surrounding him from last season; instead, it has intensified discussions.
As players gradually returned to the squad, Mourinho kept rotating his double‑pivot combinations. Camavinga was an undisputed starter in the early phase. In the opening training match against Alcorcón, he lined up alongside Sestero; against Leganés, Federico Valverde replaced Sestero to partner Camavinga, and that pairing was retained for the games against Fiorentina and Ferencváros.
At Riazor, Camavinga and Bernardo Silva started; versus Schalke 04, Bernardo Silva teamed up with Federico Valverde. Aurélien Tchouaméni has not featured so far due to an overloaded thigh muscle, while the final contender Thiago Pitarch is sidelined with a left‑knee injury.
Due to injuries or late returns from international duty, the final defensive line‑up is also yet to be finalised. At left‑back, Marc Cucurella, newly‑crowned world champion and the natural first‑choice starter, only played the final thirty minutes against Schalke 04. Owing to his late return and Ferland Mendy’s injury, Álvaro Carreras has emerged and is Real Madrid’s most‑used player this pre‑season.
At right‑back, Mourinho has alternated between Trent Alexander‑Arnold and Denzel Dumfries: the former has logged 241 minutes, the latter 239 minutes. Judging this position purely by minutes played, however, would be misleading. The two shared the pitch for 120 minutes — the opening 75 minutes against Fiorentina and the second half versus Deportivo La Coruña. Across those two hours, Alexander‑Arnold held the full‑back slot while Dumfries was pushed forward to operate as a winger.
At centre‑back, Éder Militao has not made an appearance because of injury (the Brazilian international is expected to return after the first international break), and Asensio only took part in the training matches against Alcorcón and Leganés. Mourinho trialled the pairing of Antonio Rüdiger and Dean Huijsen in the first half at Riazor and the second half against Schalke 04, while Ibrahima Konaté partnered Dean Huijsen in the first half in Germany. For the rest of the time, defensive duties were covered by one or two youth‑team players. Until Éder Militao and Marco Asensio return, Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté will compete for the two starting centre‑back spots at the start of the campaign.
Four established attacking starters
There is no uncertainty regarding Thibaut Courtois in goal, and the front‑line quartet is also undisputed: Yan Diomande, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé. Even so, substitute players have also turned in eye‑catching performances. Arda Güler has made his presence felt in the attacking‑midfield position reserved for Jude Bellingham. The young Turkish talent started all six pre‑season fixtures and registered two assists: setting up Federico Valverde against Leganés and Dean Huijsen in Gelsenkirchen.
Mourinho’s tactical system does feature a dedicated attacking‑midfield slot for Arda Güler to shine whenever Jude Bellingham rests. Similarly, Brahim Díaz seems to have secured a fixed role on the right‑wing. For both of them, the days of constant positional rotation searching for identity within a 4‑3‑3 system are over.
The most impressive performer has been Carlos Espí. Endrick had been Mourinho’s first‑choice centre‑forward before Kylian Mbappé’s arrival and found the net against Fiorentina. Moving forward, they will have to share minutes when Mbappé is rotated. Now, all decisions rest with Mourinho.
He has extra time to evaluate players before finalising his starting eleven. The experimental phase is done, and the main show is officially set to begin. At the RCD Stadium on Saturday, all these initial unanswered questions will be resolved……
