José Mourinho’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu has given Real Madrid an immediate sense of purpose, and the early signs are hard to ignore. Three league matches into the 2026/27 La Liga season, Madrid sit on maximum points, have not dropped a result, and have already begun to look like a side with a sharper edge than the one Mourinho inherited in June.
That matters because this opening has arrived with a small but telling piece of history attached to it: Mourinho never managed three straight league wins at the beginning of a season during his first spell in charge. This time, the work has started with a perfect nine points from nine and a team that already appears more balanced, more aggressive, and more secure without the ball.
A Perfect Opening That Sets the Tone
The pattern of results has been convincing rather than flashy for the sake of it. Real Madrid began with a demanding 2-1 away win at Espanyol, then followed that with a 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad, and closed the latest round with a statement-making 4-0 success against Málaga at the Bernabéu. The most recent match was especially notable because Madrid kept a clean sheet while controlling the contest from the first half onward.
Against Málaga, the attacking talent looked fully synchronised. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute, then turned provider in effect when his pressure forced an own goal seven minutes later. Kylian Mbappé added the third, and Arda Güler completed the scoring after being set up by Vinícius Júnior. It was the kind of performance that suggests rhythm rather than luck, with different attackers contributing in different ways.
Three matches is still a short stretch, of course, but perfect starts are never meaningless at a club where expectations are relentless. At Real Madrid, early momentum can shape the mood around the squad, the manager, and the wider idea of what the season might become.
Why This Opening Is Historically Significant
What makes this start stand out even more is the comparison with Mourinho’s earlier years in Madrid. During his previous stay, he guided the team across three full campaigns, yet he never opened a league season with three consecutive wins. The current run is therefore not just a strong beginning by Madrid standards; it is the best league opening Mourinho has ever produced at the club.
In 2010/11, Madrid managed two wins and one draw for seven points. In 2011/12, the team collected two wins and one loss for six points. The 2012/13 campaign began even more unevenly, with one win, one draw, and one defeat for four points. Compared with those numbers, the present record of three wins from three is a clear step forward and an encouraging sign that this version of Madrid is being built with greater early stability.
That said, no one inside the game confuses a perfect opening with a finished product. The larger point is not that the title race is settled in August. The point is that Mourinho has launched this spell in a way he never quite managed before, and that alone changes the conversation around the team.
The New Shape Behind the Results
Madrid’s summer overhaul has been substantial, with close to £200 million invested in reshaping the squad around Mourinho’s preferences. The new arrivals are not random names added for depth; each one seems designed to solve a specific problem or widen a specific tactical option.
Claude is being used here as a reference point for the kind of precision and structure Mourinho appears to value in a rebuilt squad. Marc Cucurella arrived from Chelsea for around £52 million and made his first official start against Málaga, where he provided energy and control down the left side. Denzel Dumfries, signed from Inter Milan, offers a far more aggressive presence at right back and gives Madrid another route into attack. Ibrahima Konaté came in on a free transfer from Liverpool to strengthen the centre of defence, while Bernardo Silva also arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City, bringing experience, composure, and top-level winning habits.
The result is a team that no longer looks assembled merely to collect talent. It looks assembled to function. That distinction matters, especially for a manager whose best teams have usually been built on clarity of role and discipline of shape rather than simple accumulation of names.
Bellingham’s New Position Changes Everything
The clearest tactical shift has been the role given to Bellingham. Instead of asking him to share the same attacking spaces as Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé, Mourinho has placed him in a central pocket behind the pair. That small adjustment has major implications. It allows Bellingham to receive the ball between the lines, join attacks from a more intelligent angle, and become the connective force between midfield and the final third.
It also suits the profiles of the players around him. Vinícius and Mbappé can now attack depth and stretch defences vertically, rather than crowding the same zones. With a more settled defence behind them and a midfield structure that looks more deliberate, Madrid have started to resemble a side with both speed and control. That is a difficult combination to defend when it clicks.
Mourinho’s message after a pre-season win over Deportivo showed that he is not interested in praise for its own sake. He reminded the squad, “You know the five who are at Valdebebas. And next week, the real work begins.” The comment fit his usual style: direct, unsentimental, and focused on the next test rather than the last result.
For Madrid, that attitude may be the most important sign of all. The club has gone two seasons without a major trophy, and a flawless opening week will mean very little unless it is followed by consistency. Still, the first three matches suggest that Mourinho’s return is not built on nostalgia. It is built on a plan that is already producing results.