Real Madrid faced Deportivo La Coruña in their third pre-season match of the summer.
Brahim Diaz scored just before half-time and his goal was the only difference between the two sides in a game where Madrid showed signs of increasing fitness.
They were a little rusty in their previous two games against Fiorentina and Ferencvaros, when Jose Mourinho notably made comments about their need to get fitter.
The new manager made extensive changes during the match and several players got more minutes in the tank. Bernardo Silva and Denzel Dumfries started, while their fellow new signing Carlos Espi was introduced at half-time.
Several senior players were not involved with the team. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande and Ibrahima Konate all trained at Madrid’s Valdebebas base instead of travelling to Galicia for the friendly.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 13, 2026
Mourinho said he was careful to ensure as many players as possible got minutes.
“It was a serious game, against a team that’s back in La Liga,” Mourinho said. “They gave everything, they obliged us to play seriously, a difficult game. I had to make changes, I don’t want to give too many minutes to the same players.
“This game is here to be won, OK, but more than that it’s here to work, to give minutes, and to play. I liked that in a difficult game with so many changes, changes of structure.”
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— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 12, 2026
Madrid were unable to extend their lead but Mourinho saw value in their ability to hold on and secure a narrow victory away from home. Deportivo have returned to La Liga and the match offered Madrid a test much different to Fiorentina or Ferencvaros, closer to the demands they will face once the season begins.
“We’ll have a lot of games like this in the league, away from home, where you can’t finish off the game and you win anyway, 1-0, as we did,” Mourinho said. “A lot of positive things, the team is growing, there are five players who stayed behind at Valdebebas, you know who they are. We’re going step by step.”
Madrid now have just one more pre-season fixture before their league campaign begins. They face Schalke on 16 August before travelling to Espanyol for their opening La Liga match on 22 August.
