There has been plenty of cause for optimism during Real Madrid’s pre-season under Jose Mourinho.

A 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in their opening friendly was followed by wins against Hungarian side Ferencvaros (2-1), Deportivo La Coruna (1-0) and Schalke 04 (3-0). Mourinho’s side have looked better and better with each game.

The latest game against Schalke was the first in which Mourinho had all of his main stars available after the World Cup.

New signing Yan Diomande — who joined in a deal worth up to €140million (£119m; $161m) from RB Leipizig — came on in the 60th minute. Kylian Mbappe needed just six minutes to score on his first start of pre-season while Dean Huijsen and new striker Carlos Espi also got on the scoresheet.

“The team has started to look like a team. We are all excited,” Mourinho said on the club’s official TV channel.

Next up is the real thing: Madrid’s La Liga opener against Espanyol on Saturday at 9.30pm local time (8.30pm UK, 3.30pm ET). So, what have we learned from those pre-season games?

Mou is still Mou

Mourinho has yet to hold his first official presentation or press conference, but there is little doubt who is in charge.

Beyond the influence the returning Portuguese coach has had on the club’s transfer business, he has placed a significant emphasis on his side’s physical preparation.

Unlike in previous summers, Madrid have not travelled overseas for a pre-season tour. Instead, they have largely been able to stay in the Spanish capital and focus on their physical conditioning.

Sources close to the club staff — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say the opening weeks of Mourinho’s second spell have been demanding, with lots of double sessions. Those within the coaching staff explain this is why players have sometimes appeared fatigued at times during this summer’s friendlies.

During games, Mourinho has been unmistakably Mourinho. The 63-year-old has delivered animated team talks, while his touchline reactions have included angry protests with his staff and players when they have disagreed with refereeing decisions — as happened in the games against Deportivo and Ferencvaros.

A black eye caused by being struck by a shot in training only added to his ‘hard man’ image for supporters.

Jose Mourinho’s black eye (Hesham Elsherif/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The rare occasions he has spoken have been through the club’s official TV channel, where he has already caused a stir with some of his comments.

After the Ferencvaros game, he was asked about Bernardo Silva, the summer signing from Manchester City.

“Bernardo is a very important player for us, but the poor guy is another one of those who likes to do nothing during the holidays,” Mourinho said.

“It is good for him, mentally, not to do anything in his free time, so he has come back in poor physical shape. He needs to improve.”

There is more to that comment than first meets the eye, and it leads neatly into the next point…

Bernardo, Espi among the standouts

Mourinho has had to rotate heavily, with several players having been given extended, post-World Cup breaks.

It is too early to know his preferred XI. But there are a few players who have already earned his trust — and Bernardo is one of them.

Despite the apparent dig over his fitness, Bernardo is highly regarded within Mourinho’s coaching staff, who actually saw those comments as a sign of how highly the coach rates him. The Portugal international has been used in several positions but most often in attacking midfield — where Madrid looked most in need of an injection of quality last season.

Bernardo Silva is highly regarded by Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff (Hesham Elsherif/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Arda Guler has also impressed as a No 10. The 21-year-old’s inch-perfect assist from a corner for Huijsen’s goal against Schalke was another reminder of his clear ability. He has been helped by returning early after Turkey’s elimination from the World Cup group stage.

Further back, the coaching staff have been encouraged by the performance of some of the team’s younger players.

Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras both endured difficult finishes to their debut seasons at the Bernabeu but have been composed in their pre-season showings. Carreras provided the assist for Madrid’s third goal against Schalke. However, his performance against Deportivo was even more impressive, as he produced a series of intelligent, well-timed runs.

Among the new signings, the most surprising early standout has been the least heralded: Espi. The €25million arrival from Levante has scored twice in pre-season and has shown how useful he can be against teams who defend deep.

And then there is Diomande, the 19-year-old who has left people at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground raving about his quality in training — along with fans on social media who have seen limited clips of his sessions.

👍 ¡Un día de entrenamiento con Diomande! pic.twitter.com/b7dQQARTET

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 11, 2026

As the World Cup players have returned, some of the academy players have naturally slipped down the pecking order. But two have made a particularly strong impression: centre-back Mario Rivas, 19, and left-winger Alexis Ciria, 18. Both are highly rated at Valdebebas.

From ‘rock ’n’ roll’ to rapid counter-attacks

There has been no mention of the “rock ’n’ roll” football Xabi Alonso spoke about after his appointment last summer, but Mourinho’s tactical imprint is starting to become clear.

The team’s basic structure is a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Madrid looking particularly comfortable when counter-attacking.

The most striking example was the move for Brahim Diaz’s goal against Deportivo de La Coruna. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin released the ball quickly with a long throw. Brahim then took a confident touch with his chest to put himself in behind and effectively one-vs-one with the goalkeeper, before slotting home.

Asistencia perfecta: ✓
Definición perfecta: ✓@AndreyLunin13 🤝 @Brahim pic.twitter.com/bvO0t96aPw

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 13, 2026

Madrid’s off-the-ball work has been encouraging. Vinicius Junior and Diomande have shown a willingness to track back and defend deep inside their own half, too often a problem with Madrid’s star forwards last season.

There have been moments where the team have lacked a little clarity and patience in possession. One early conclusion is that this side may simply be more comfortable without the ball.

Does Trent start? What about Cucurella?

There is plenty to take from these first 360 minutes, but still some questions to be addressed.

The final players to return after their breaks were centre-back Ibrahima Konate, left-back Marc Cucurella, midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham, and Mbappe.

Bellingham is expected to remain central to Mourinho’s plans, but there is still uncertainty over how the new coach will arrange the two midfielders behind the England international.

One thing made clear by this pre-season campaign is that Federico Valverde appears set to take on even greater defensive responsibility under Mourinho. That would leave Guler or Bernardo to compete for the final midfield position.

Tchouameni has experienced some minor muscular discomfort on his return to Madrid, but it is unclear how Mourinho will use him given the limited space in his position.

The competition is just as intriguing in defence.

Cucurella arrived as the first-choice option at left-back following his €60million move from Chelsea, but his limited training time after Spain’s World Cup win and Carreras’ strong pre-season could create a genuine battle for the position in the opening weeks of the season.

There is even more uncertainty on the right. Denzel Dumfries was initially brought in as a backup full-back from Inter, but the Netherlands international has started three of the first four games in advanced positions. Against Deportivo, he even operated as a winger, with Trent Alexander-Arnold playing behind him at right-back.

Can Trent Alexander-Arnold keep his starting role at right-back? (Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

Both have made a positive impression, but the question is who makes the right-back position their own.

At centre-back, the picture is clearer. Raul Asencio is expected to return in September after a right thigh muscle injury, while Eder Militao is out for longer because of his left hamstring issue. That leaves Huijsen and Konate as the apparent frontrunners for the centre-back roles.

Konate produced a strong first half against Schalke, but it remains to be seen whether Mourinho rotates the new arrival from Liverpool with Antonio Rudiger during the opening weeks — or if the German keeps his place.

There will be plenty to keep an eye on at the Bernabeu as the season kicks off.

Several players from a top team in the Australian Football League (AFL) have been referred to police over an “alleged incident” in Melbourne on Sunday night, their club has said.

Separately, Victoria Police have said detectives are investigating a report of a sexual assault at a hotel in East Melbourne.

The Sydney Swans confirmed an incident involving an unspecified number of players had occurred in the hours after the team’s win at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Chief executive Matthew Pavlich said the club was “still piecing together exactly what’s transpired”, and would not be drawn on what the specific allegations are.

“Safe to say, we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place, and that the players have found themselves in this situation,” he said at a press conference on Monday.

“There’s going to be lots of speculation, but given it’s a police matter right now, that is all we can say.”

Pavlich declined to say whether any arrests had been made, nor provide any details about how many players were involved.

A police spokesperson said the incident they were investigating occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“The exact circumstances are yet to be established and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing,” they said.

In a statement, the football league said that Sydney “made the AFL aware of the matter which is currently under Victoria Police investigation”.

Sydney is currently placed second on the 2026 ladder after winning 17 out of 22 games played this year.

The club is scheduled to face off against North Melbourne on Sunday for the last round before the finals, through which the top six teams are guaranteed to advance.

Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard will miss the rest of season as he continues his recovery from a broken collarbone sustained in this year’s race.

On stage 15, the 29-year-old Visma-Lease a Bike rider was tackling a tight right-hand bend off a roundabout when his front wheel slid out, causing him to land on his shoulder.

The injury required surgery and ruled the Dane out of challenging for a third Tour victory, with Tadej Pogacar going on to win a record equalling fifth yellow jersey.

Vingegaard will be absent from September’s UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada, when Pogacar will go for a third straight world title.

“After a long and intense racing period, a recovery period was planned after the Tour de France anyway,” Vingegaard said.

“Due to the collarbone injury, the start of my training has been delayed and it is not possible for me to get back to top level in the coming period.

“The focus is on preparing optimally for the goals of the 2027 season. I will discuss these specific goals with the team in the coming period.”

Vingegaard won the Giro d’Italia earlier this season to become only the eighth male rider to win all three Grand Tours – the Tour, Giro and Vuelta a Espana.

His crash came on the day that Remco Evenepoel criticised the “inhuman” nature of the doping tests carried out in the early hours that morning at the Tour, with Vingegaard woken at 02:00 and Pogacar at 05:00 local time for tests.

Marc Reef, Visma-Lease a Bike’s head of racing, indicated that the number of race days that Vingegaard had already completed in 2026 played a factor in the decision to end his season.

“As announced at the start of the season, we would take stock of the remaining part of the season after the Tour de France,” he added.

“After a busy period with many days of racing and the collarbone fracture Jonas sustained in the Tour de France, it is best for him to focus on 2027.

“Together with Jonas, we will look at the right training build-up and goals for the new year over the coming weeks.”