Jose Mourinho is impressed by how Real Madrid are “growing as a team” after they finished their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Schalke.
Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and Carlos Espi were all on the scoresheet for Los Blancos, who ensured they will head into their LaLiga opener against Espanyol next weekend on the back of a positive result.
Madrid are unbeaten in pre-season, winning each of their last three games, and they started strongly against Schalke, with Mbappe taking just six minutes to score in his first appearance under Mourinho.
He punished a poor backpass to slot past Loris Karius before Huijsen then headed home the second from an Arda Guler corner 14 minutes later.
Espi, who entered the fray as a half-time substitute, got their third just before the hour after being teed up by Alvaro Carreras, with big-money signing Yan Diomande also coming on shortly after for his debut.
“Positive. Positive as a team. Positive individually,” Mourinho said when asked for his thoughts on the match.
“Obviously, some players arrived later and don’t yet have the same intensity as the guys who came on the first day. Those who started on the first day have had 30 training sessions and 6 matches; those who arrived now have had three or four training sessions.
“There’s obviously a difference in rhythm, intensity, and stamina… But tactically, the ideas are gradually taking shape. The players have superior quality, incredible quality. We’re working very well as a team, with and without the ball.
Victory in the last match of pre-season!@Emirates pic.twitter.com/qwBnkGFThU
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) August 16, 2026
“I think it was a very good test, a very good final training session before the real work begins, because the real work is competing, fighting for points. That’s what we love, and we’re right there on the verge of it.
“Right now it’s difficult to talk about individual players because we’re growing as a team. We only have good players, very good players, and extremely good players.
“From the combined efforts of these players, we have to create a very, very good team, and we’re taking the right steps to achieve that.”
While Schalke had more chances (15 shots to Madrid’s 12), Mourinho’s side got seven of theirs on target and accumulated 2.1 expected goals (xG).
Mbappe enjoyed a positive return to the team, and Espi continues to impress after his move from Levante, while Huijsen also contributed two shots – both of which were on target.
“I’m happy with the team’s work; we’re leaving a good impression,” Huijsen said. “We’re training hard, running a lot, and being pushed to the limit. That’s good for us.
“Mourinho asks me, as a centre-back, to be solid and try to keep a clean sheet. As a team, he wants us to stay united, play together, and be supportive.”
