Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho suffered a facial injury in training after being struck by a ball before leading his team to a 3-0 victory against Schalke 04.
The Portuguese head coach sustained a black eye during a practice session at the club's Valdebebas training ground in Madrid. Wearing glasses prevented more severe damage, allowing Mourinho to remain on the touchline for the pre-season fixture in Germany.
Although minor, the mishap served as a reminder of the intensity surrounding squad preparations even during regular practice sessions.
Pre-season victory in Gelsenkirchen
Real Madrid delivered a dominant first-half performance at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen to secure a convincing 3-0 win over Schalke 04. French forward Kylian Mbappé proved to be the standout performer in Madrid's final preparation match before the official campaign begins.
The match showcased Real Madrid's finest moments of the pre-season. The Spanish side gradually re-integrated players returning from World Cup duties, completing an unbeaten warm-up campaign that consolidated team confidence.
Early goals set up decisive win
Mbappé opened the scoring after just five minutes, capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Schalke 04. The early goal demonstrated the forward's rapid adaptation to the team.
Defender Dean Huijsen doubled the lead in the 20th minute, rising to head home from a corner kick. The goal underlined Real Madrid's threat from set-piece situations.
Substitute Espí added the third goal later in the match with a second header, turning in a precise cross from defender Álvaro Carreras. The strike echoed Espí's previous decisive goal against Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.
Debuts and squad integration ahead of LaLiga opener
The fixture in Germany also marked the Real Madrid debuts of Marc Cucurella and Yan Diomande. Midfielder Jude Bellingham and defender Denzel Dumfries also featured, giving Mourinho valuable minutes to integrate his squad options.
Mourinho introduced key attacking players in the second half to maintain momentum. Forward Vinícius Júnior came close to adding a fourth goal as Real Madrid sat back to exploit counter-attacking space against a Schalke side seeking a response.
Real Madrid concluded their pre-season undefeated, showing continuous improvement across their warm-up games. Mourinho now faces the task of moulding his new arrivals into a cohesive unit for a club obligated to challenge for titles. Real Madrid begin their official LaLiga EA Sports campaign away against Espanyol on Saturday.
