Mourinho is only half pleased with Real Madrid

Real Madrid exhibited both strong points and weak points against Fiorentina in the first meaningful preseason match under Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho's team dominated the first 40 minutes but let their two-goal lead slip after the break. Fitness is an issue the Special One needs to improve for the team.

Endrick's reaction

Real Madrid drew 2-2 with Fiorentina in their first real test of the preseason, after two training matches at Valdebebas that didn't reveal much. The Spanish giants completely overwhelmed a harmless Fiorentina for most of the first half but faced many difficulties after the break.

Endrick, whose future has been questioned, and young player Alexis Ciria scored to put Real Madrid 2-0 up within 24 minutes. This was also the debut of two new signings, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi — a physically strong striker expected to become the Joselu of the 2023-24 season when Real Madrid won the Champions League. However, Roberto Piccoli pulled one back just before halftime, and Moise Kean scored in the second half to earn the purple team a draw.

Against Fiorentina, Mourinho decided to use young center-back pair Kevin Folgado and Mario Rivas, who have little chance of featuring in the new season. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras played on the wings. Meanwhile, new signing Dumfries played as a right winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The starting lineup also included goalkeeper Lunin, midfield pair Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. Young talent Alexis Ciria played on the left wing, while Arda Guler operated as a number 10 behind striker Endrick.

It was Endrick who opened the scoring against David de Gea within the first 12 minutes. The Brazilian striker finished after a precise assist from Carreras, who received a through ball from Guler. A composed control and turn followed by a finish. "That means a lot," coach Mourinho praised the Brazilian after the match. Endrick "responded" in his own way after a series of transfer moves by Real Madrid, which certainly haven't stopped.

In the 24th minute, Alexis Ciria scored after a "gift" assist from Camavinga, making it 2-0 against a Fiorentina that had exerted almost no pressure. The 18-year-old is hoping to catch Mourinho's attention and be promoted to the first team for the 2026-27 season. As for Camavinga, he also put in a commendable performance to compete for a starting spot in the Mourinho era, after missing the 2026 World Cup and having a decline season (partly due to injuries).

Running out of steam

However, just before the end of the first half, Fiorentina had their first shot on target and immediately scored. Roberto Piccoli capitalized on a pass from former Real Madrid player Alex Jimenez to pull one back to 1-2. Although the center-back pair Folgado and Mario had limitations, the reality is that "Los Blancos" still have many issues, especially in defense. This had already been exposed in the 4-1 win over Leganes. The white-shirted players lacked aggression in stopping opponents.

In the second half, Fiorentina showed a completely different face, with better fitness thanks to having played several high-intensity friendlies earlier. Coach Fabio Grosso's team constantly put pressure on Lunin's goal with many dangerous moves. The Serie A side's persistence paid off when Moise Kean, one of the substitutes, headed in after a precise cross from Nicolo Fagioli. This was a result of Real Madrid's disjointed start after the break. No one was marking Kean.

Midway through the second half, Mourinho adjusted tactics and brought on new signing Carlos Espi. Real Madrid applied more pressure in the final minutes but could not find a decisive goal. Carlos Espi even missed a golden opportunity with only a few minutes left.

It was easy to see Real Madrid gradually running out of energy. This is understandable as Mourinho doesn't have enough personnel to assemble the team. "I saw a Real Madrid with three faces: fresh, tired, and extremely tired," the Portuguese coach admitted. "When we were fresh, we played very well. A 2-1 score at halftime was too little. That was a very high-quality half; we could have easily won 3 or 4-0. I am very satisfied that even when the team was exhausted, we still played as a true collective. We knew how to regain control of the match."