Real Madrid hosts Malaga to continue their momentum
Eyes turn to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Sunday, where Real Madrid hosts Málaga in the third round of the Spanish La Liga, as the royal club seeks a third consecutive victory to maintain its perfect start to the season.
Today, Deportivo La Coruña also faces Valencia, while Celta Vigo plays Athletic Bilbao.
Real Madrid enters the match against Málaga in high spirits, having collected six points from their first two games, thereby confirming early on their strong desire to compete fiercely for the league title.
The royal club began their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Espanyol before delivering a more convincing performance in the second round, securing a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad.
Real Madrid hopes to continue this strong start when they face Málaga at the Santiago Bernabéu, especially given the team’s clear home advantage in recent times.
Real Madrid has won five of their last six home matches, with one draw, scoring 16 goals while conceding only seven during this period.
League statistics also highlight the team’s strength in front of their fans, having won 83 percent of their last 40 matches at the Santiago Bernabéu, and achieving victories by a margin of two goals or more in 15 of their last 39 home games in the competition.
On the other hand, Málaga enters the match under less-than-ideal circumstances, having managed to secure just one point from their first two rounds.
Málaga lost 2-0 to Atlético Madrid in the opening round before drawing 1-1 with Deportivo La Coruña, and they are now seeking their first win of the season when they face one of the top title contenders.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager José Mourinho launched a campaign yesterday to support French star Kylian Mbappé in winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or, arguing that the award should go to “the best player in the world” rather than to the winner of the World Cup or the Champions League.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Málaga, the Portuguese coach said, “The best players in the world are two, three, or four of them, and we know who they are: they are here.”
Mourinho added, “And for me, there is one player who made history individually this summer,” referring to Mbappé, who became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history during the tournament.
The French national team captain is among the contenders for the Ballon d’Or, having finished last season as the top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League, and the 2026 World Cup, despite failing to win any major trophy.
Among his competitors are English striker Harry Kane, Spanish midfielder Rodri, the World Cup winner, as well as Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé and Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the European champions with Paris Saint-Germain.
He continued, “If we want to reward the Champions League, give it to Luis Enrique. For the Spanish national team, give it to Luis de la Fuente. But the best player in the world is something different, and he is not at Paris Saint-Germain nor in the Spanish national team,” he said.
