Real Madrid put four past Leganes in training match as Mourinho’s new era gathers momentum | OneFootball

Real Madrid continued their pre-season preparations with a convincing 4-1 victory over Leganes behind closed doors at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, giving Jose Mourinho another positive outing as his second spell at the club begins to take shape.

As highlighted by MARCA, Real Madrid looked increasingly comfortable with Mourinho’s ideas during their second training match of the summer, following last week’s 1-0 win over Alcorcon.

New signing Denzel Dumfries was present after completing his medical, although he watched from the stands alongside Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo and Eder Militao rather than featuring.

Madrid’s attacking quality shines

Mourinho named a strong starting line-up despite several absentees, with Arda Guler operating behind the striker, while Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde controlled midfield in a 4-2-3-1 system.

The Portuguese coach also continued experimenting with aggressive man-to-man defensive assignments, with Raul Asencio tracking the opposition striker and Dean Huijsen following the attacking midfielder.

Madrid’s pressure eventually paid off midway through the first half.

After winning possession high up the pitch, Guler drove forward before setting up Valverde, who calmly slotted home to open the scoring while wearing the captain’s armband.

The second goal arrived shortly after the cooling break.

Trent Alexander-Arnold produced an excellent delivery towards Gonzalo Garcia, who controlled the ball brilliantly before lifting his finish over the goalkeeper to double Madrid’s advantage.

Leganes responded before half-time through Naim, whose powerful strike clipped the post on its way into the net to reduce the deficit.

Young stars continue to impress

Madrid restored their two-goal cushion after the break when Franco Mastantuono reacted quickest to convert a rebound following another effort from Alexander-Arnold.

The Argentinian starlet may be closing in on a loan move away from the Spanish capital but he continues to get minutes under Jose.

Just a minute later, Leganes defender Pulido turned the ball into his own net, completing a dominant 4-1 victory.

As he did in the opening pre-season fixture, Mourinho handed valuable minutes to several academy players during the closing stages, allowing another group of youngsters to gain experience alongside the senior squad.

While pre-season results should always be viewed with caution, there were plenty of encouraging signs for Real Madrid supporters.

Guler once again showed his creative influence, Gonzalo continued his impressive form in front of goal, Mastantuono added another standout moment, and the team’s tactical structure looked increasingly familiar under Mourinho.

With so much improvement already visible between the Alcorcon game and the Leganes one, the start has been very promising for Los Blancos. It remains to be seen how things progress from here.