José Mourinho's Real Madrid Preseason: Tactical Insights and Player Experiments

José Mourinho opened Real Madrid’s preseason with a familiar shape and a few intriguing experiments, but the goals refused to follow.

In their first friendly of the summer, against Alcorcón, Madrid lined up in a 4-2-3-1 that said a lot about where Mourinho’s mind already is. Eduardo Camavinga and Cestero anchored the double pivot, tasked with giving structure to a side still shaking off the rust of the off-season. Ahead of them, Arda Güler operated as the classic No. 10, floating between the lines behind Gonzalo, with Valero and Mastantuono stretching play from the flanks.

There was intrigue at the back as well. Trent Alexander-Arnold started at right-back, offering width and playmaking from deep, while Huijsen and Asencio formed the central defensive pairing. Carreras took the left side of the back four, and Lunin started in goal.

For the first 25 minutes, the session opened up to the cameras and notebooks. Madrid used that window to impose themselves, move the ball with purpose and carve out the game’s clearest chance. Mastantuono won a penalty, driving into the box and drawing contact that left Alcorcón exposed. Güler stepped up, calm and composed, but his spot-kick was saved by the Alcorcón goalkeeper. A sharp reminder: rhythm takes time, even for the most gifted.

The miss did not change the pattern. Madrid controlled territory, pushed their full-backs on and tried to feed Güler between the lines. Alcorcón, compact and disciplined, held firm. The final ball lacked edge, the finishing touch even more so.

First Half

The first half closed at 0-0, a stalemate on the scoreboard but a useful 45 minutes in the legs. Mourinho is expected to turn heavily to his Castilla contingent after the break, using the friendly to hand young players meaningful minutes while his senior core continues to build fitness.

Preseason is about conditioning and clues, not trophies. On this early evidence, Mourinho intends to learn plenty about both his depth and his new combinations before the real tests begin.