After 4,830 days, Jose Mourinho will once again manage Real Madrid in a La Liga match. That is how long it has been since the charismatic Portuguese last led the Royal Club in pursuit of points, and tonight he will have that task away to Espanyol. Just as in 2010, when he arrived from Inter and took charge of Real, the coach from Setubal has the same objective: to knock eternal rivals Barcelona off the top of the table. But it will be far from easy. This will be Mourinho's 29th season in league football, and it is interesting to look at how he performed in his opening matches throughout a career in which he has managed clubs in Portugal, England, Spain, Italy and Turkey. In his previous 28 seasons, Mourinho recorded 17 wins, eight draws and just two defeats. His first came on September 23, 2000, when he lost 1-0 with Benfica to Boavista.Diomande's fascination with Mourinho: "I'm ready to die for him"It is also interesting to see how Mourinho began his La Liga seasons when he was in charge of Real Madrid. In three seasons, he started without a win twice. On August 29, 2010, Real drew 0-0 away to Mallorca. A year later, Real got off to a flying start with a 6-0 victory over Zaragoza at La Romareda, while in José's final season in charge of Madrid, the campaign began with a 1-1 draw against Valencia. As for Mourinho's record against Espanyol, he has been highly successful, winning four and drawing two of his six matches against them. No other Spanish side has yielded him such a points haul. Espanyol could also be described as something of a favorite opponent for Real Madrid forward Vinícius Junior. The Brazilian has scored five goals in 11 La Liga appearances against the Barcelona-based side, three of them in six away matches. He has not scored more goals away from home against any other club.Scandal after the match – Arda Guler's 'cousins' tried to break into dressing roomEither way, Mourinho will return to the Real Madrid bench after 13 years, and says he feels no nerves. He also believes it is important that he has the backing of president Florentino Perez, with whom he remained in contact even while he was away from Madrid.“I'm fine. This is our first official match of the season. I've been used to this for more than 20 years, so I'm calm. I don't feel any pressure, either because of my debut or because of the match. I have confidence in the work I do. After every title Real have won, the president has called me. I'm pleased that my work here had positive consequences, but the titles belong to those who won them — Carlo, Zidane, the players and the fans,” said José.This was my favorite part of the press conference👇Journalist: "What advice would the Mourinho of 2013 give to the Mourinho of 2026?"José Mourinho: "Good question. Philosophical. The Mourinho of 2026 is in better conditions to advise the Mourinho of 2013. Do you advise your…— IM🇵🇹 (@Iconic_Mourinho) August 21, 2026 The Portuguese is extremely demanding and says he will always insist that the team he manages continues to improve.“This is my team. It will be better or worse. If we're talking about the concept of a perfect team, such a thing will never exist. I'm one of those people who believe that every day is an opportunity to grow and improve. A team always has room for improvement. We have a long road ahead, and football and competition will not wait for us. We have to be a proper team, work well and not talk about things that are non-negotiable. Commitment is essential for every minute on the pitch. I can only put 11 players on the field, and every match will be equally difficult. The day I feel that frustration has consumed me and that my level is dropping, the decision will be easy. I don't want easy decisions; I want them to be difficult” Mourinho stated.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 2ThursdayRayo Vallecano – Alaves 1-1 (0-0)/Camello 48 – Diaz 84/FridayBetis – Sociedad 1-0 (0-0)/Riquelme 63/Saturday18.00: (1.75) Athletic Bilbao (3.60) Sevilla (5.20)20.30: (2.40) Valencia (3.35) Celta (3.25)22.30: (7.75) Espanyol (4.50) Real Madrid (1.48)Sunday18.00: (2.00) Atletico Madrid (3.60) Villarreal (4.10)20.30: (2.25) Getafe (3.00) Racing Santander (4.00)22.30: (8.50) Elche (6.00) Barcelona (1.35)Monday20.30: (1.85) Osasuna (3.50) Levante (4.40)22.30: (2.50) Malaga (3.10) Deportivo A Coruna (3.05)***odds are subject to change***