Real Madrid Host Real Sociedad: Mbappe and Bellingham Lead, Mourinho's Home Debut

Real Madrid will play their first home match at the Bernabeu under Jose Mourinho when they host Real Sociedad in round 2 of La Liga. The match takes place at 21:00 local time on August 26 (19:00 GMT) and will be broadcast live on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT.

This is a clash between one of Spain's most decorated clubs and a team hungry for silverware. Real Sociedad won the Copa del Rey last season after beating Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid are looking to avoid a third consecutive season without a major trophy — something that hasn't happened since 2006.

Real Madrid's Start

Mourinho secured his first win in his second spell at Real Madrid with a 2-1 comeback against Espanyol. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring, but the hosts equalized, and it wasn't until the 90th minute that substitute Carlos Espi scored the winner.

Mourinho admitted Espanyol deserved a better result: "I think we deserved to win, but Espanyol didn't deserve to lose. They had no players at the World Cup and have been working together for a long time — you could see that."

In his debut, Mourinho fielded the attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Bellingham, along with new signings Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, and Ibrahima Konate. Bellingham was deployed as an attacking midfielder and scored with a header from Arda Guler's free kick. Mbappe, despite being La Liga's top scorer for the past two seasons, has yet to hit his best form.

The Vinicius Puzzle

Mourinho said he wants to help Vinicius Junior control his emotions better after the Brazilian forward was involved in several incidents with fans and opposing players in the match against Espanyol.

"On the pitch and off the pitch are two different matters. Reacting to fans and insults — if it's not racism or homophobia, but ordinary jeering, then I think he can control it better," Mourinho said.

"As for fouls and frustration that builds up during a game, that's the referee's responsibility to protect the players and the match."

Last season, while coaching Benfica, Mourinho was criticized for questioning Vinicius's character after the player accused an opponent of racism in the Champions League. He made it clear: "When I was Benfica's coach, I only cared about Benfica."

Real Sociedad's Situation

Real Sociedad have also played just one game, losing 0-1 to Real Betis. Rodrigo Riquelme scored the only goal with a fine volley. The Basque side won only 3 of their 19 away matches last season, and facing Betis followed by Real Madrid in the first two rounds is a significant challenge.

Head-to-Head History

In their most recent meeting, Real Madrid won 4-1 with a brace of penalties from Vinicius Junior plus goals from Gonzalo Garcia and Federico Valverde. Real Sociedad last beat Real Madrid in May 2023 with a 2-0 scoreline, but they haven't won at the Bernabeu in La Liga since January 2019 (2-0, with goals from Willian Jose and Ruben Pardo).

Notably, Real Sociedad shocked Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey in February 2020 with a 4-3 victory. Martin Odegaard (now Arsenal's captain) and Alexander Isak were key contributors.

In the last 20 matches at the Bernabeu in La Liga, Real Sociedad have won only 1, drawn 3, and lost 16, scoring 19 goals but conceding 54.

Team News and Predicted Lineups

Real Madrid will be without Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Raul Asencio (thigh), and Ferland Mendy (hip). Endrick, Thiago Pitarch, and Aurelien Tchouameni may also not be fit in time. Bellingham is expected to play despite needing ice on his ankle after the Espanyol match.

Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bernardo, Valverde; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe.

Real Sociedad are without Alvaro Odriozola due to a long-term knee injury. Pablo Marin, Jon Gorrotxategi, and Goncalo Guedes need late fitness checks. Mikel Oyarzabal, a 2026 World Cup winner with Spain, is expected to start.

Predicted Real Sociedad XI: Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Martin, Gomez; Herrera, Soler; Kubo, Sucic, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Real Madrid a 66% chance of winning, while Real Sociedad are given just 15%.

In their 158 previous meetings, Real Madrid have won 91 times, and Real Sociedad have won 27.