Real Madrid's Preseason Grind Against Alcorcón

Real Madrid’s preseason opened not with fireworks, but with a hard, instructive grind against Alcorcón — and a reminder that even in July, José Mourinho demands structure.

Under the late-summer sun, Mourinho rolled out a clear 4-2-3-1, a system he knows as well as anyone. Camavinga and Cestero anchored the double pivot, tasked with both shielding and starting play. Ahead of them, Güler operated in the coveted No. 10 role, floating between the lines behind Gonzalo and Valero, with Mastantuono stretching the game from the wings.

At the back, the shape was just as deliberate. Alexander-Arnold took his place at right-back, encouraged to step high and wide, while Huijsen and Asencio formed the central pairing. Carreras held the left flank. Behind them, Lunin, the starting goalkeeper on the day, watched the patterns unfold and dealt with the rare threat that slipped through.

For 25 minutes, the cameras rolled and the notebooks filled. Those opening exchanges were open, loose, and exactly what a first friendly tends to be: ideas tested at full speed, legs a half-step behind the mind. Real Madrid controlled the ball, moved it with patience, and slowly pushed Alcorcón deeper.

Then came the clearest chance of the half. Mastantuono drove into the box and drew a penalty, the sort of direct, fearless run coaches love in preseason because it cuts through the rust. Güler stepped up, the designated playmaker with the ball on the spot, but Alcorcón’s goalkeeper guessed right and saved the effort. A sharp reminder that rhythm, especially from 11 meters, doesn’t arrive on command.

The miss did not fracture Madrid’s shape, but it did underline the story of the half: control without reward. The ball circulated, the formation held, the ideas were visible. The goal was not. The first 45 minutes closed at 0-0, a scoreline that will bother fans more than the man in the dugout.

Second Half

For Mourinho, this stage is about something else. Fitness. Habits. Roles. The second half now offers a different kind of opportunity. Wholesale changes are expected, with Castilla players ready to step in and take on “heavy” minutes, the sort that matter for their own futures as much as for Madrid’s depth chart.

The starters have banked their first competitive strides of the summer. Now comes the audition phase — and for the youngsters about to enter, these quiet July minutes could shape the rest of their season.