Real Madrid defeated German side Schalke 3-0 in Germany on Sunday in their final pre-season match before the start of the LaLiga season.
Manager Jose Mourinho fielded a strong starting line-up featuring Thibaut Courtois, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, with Bernardo Silva operating in central midfield as the Spanish club delivered a fluid performance following their previous pre-season outing against Deportivo de La Coruña.
Mbappé opened the scoring after capitalizing on a major defensive mistake by Schalke midfielder Ron Schallenberg, whose misplaced back pass left the French forward one-on-one with goalkeeper Loris Karius. Mbappé finished calmly to record his first goal of pre-season in his first appearance of the summer.
The striker created constant problems for the Schalke defense with his off-the-ball movement. Mbappé is entering his third season with Real Madrid, looking to make a decisive leap so his goals help secure major trophies that have eluded the team during his time in Spain.
Second goal from set piece
Real Madrid doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute through defender Dean Huijsen. The defender directed a header into the net following a corner taken by Arda Güler, who emerged as one of the most improved players during the pre-season period. Huijsen scored the goal while continuing his effort to convince Mourinho of his defensive reliability.
Schalke offered little resistance as the Gelsenkirchen club continues to seek the form they enjoyed years ago when former Spanish forward Raúl played for the team. The host side offered only a brief reaction near the end of the match when squad changes disrupted play with Madrid firmly in control.
With Schalke posing minimal threat, Mourinho used three different goalkeepers during the fixture to grant them match minutes without exposing any of them to defensive difficulty.
Second-half debuts and final goal
The second half marked appearances for summer arrivals Marc Cucurella, Diomande and Jude Bellingham as Real Madrid maintained defensive stability. Cucurella and Diomande have time to establish their roles, while Bellingham entered with the match already decided as he seeks to define whether he will function as a primary goalscorer or central midfielder under Mourinho.
Carlos Espí wrapped up the scoring in the 78th minute, heading home a precise cross from Carreras. It was the young striker's second goal of the pre-season as the secondary forward continues to press for first-team inclusion despite generating lower fan expectation than other attacking options.
Real Madrid, who compete in Spain's top division, now turn their attention to official competition when the LaLiga season starts on August 22.
