Real Madrid defeated Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 to win the Teresa Herrera Trophy at the Riazor stadium on Wednesday night. A late first half goal from Brahim Diaz decided a sluggish pre-season friendly in Galicia.
The decisive moment arrived after Deportivo produced their first real threat of the match from a set piece. Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin caught the ball in his penalty area before launching a powerful throw with a hook-like arm motion, releasing Diaz on a rapid counter-attack.
Diaz, who represents Morocco at international level, started his sprint from the corner of his own penalty box the moment Lunin claimed the ball. By the time he received the long throw, the forward had reached the center circle before driving forward without looking back to finish with ease past the Deportivo goalkeeper.
The goal demonstrated one of the core tactical principles Jose Mourinho is installing in his squad: exploiting opponent disorder or overconfidence to strike with devastating speed. The rapid transition echoed classic goals from Mourinho's first spell in charge of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, when single-touch counter-attacks became a hallmark of his side, despite counter-attacking football long being viewed with suspicion in some quarters.
Wednesday's victory secured the Teresa Herrera Trophy for Real Madrid, a traditional summer tournament hosted annually by Deportivo at Riazor since 1946. While the competition carries less prestige today than in decades past, the victory gave older supporters a brief touch of nostalgia during an otherwise low-tempo pre-season encounter.
Tactical setup and midfield experiments
Pre-season friendlies serve primarily for players to build match fitness and internalize tactical mechanisms, though missing international stars and limited physical conditioning reduced the overall tempo. Real Madrid lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with young Brazilian forward Endrick starting as the central striker.
New Portuguese signing Bernardo Silva joined French international Eduardo Camavinga in central midfield. Silva was brought in to act as the team's primary conductor, stitching defense and attack together with his passing range.
Camavinga has featured heavily throughout pre-season, though his prominent role may prove to be a false trail regarding Mourinho's eventual starting lineup. The Frenchman turned in a solid performance overall, but he suffered a distraction when playing out from defense that nearly allowed Deportivo to score.
Goalscoring opportunities remained scarce for both teams throughout the opening period. Endrick struggled to generate chances in front of goal and stood out primarily for physical collisions with opposition defenders.
Midfield adjustments and second half changes
As the match progressed into the second half, Mourinho introduced multiple substitutions that disrupted the flow of play. Real Madrid shifted their tactical structure to a three-man midfield alignment.
Under the revised system, Camavinga anchored the base of the midfield, with Bernardo Silva and Uruguayan international Federico Valverde operating ahead of him in central roles.
The fixture was Real Madrid's penultimate warm-up match of the summer. Mourinho has one final experimental fixture remaining on the schedule before official competitive matches begin.
Deportivo injury blows and late pressure
For Deportivo La Coruna, managed by Fernando Hidalgo, the high-profile friendly served as a prelude to their upcoming campaign and a celebration of their return to Spanish football's top flight. The Galician side delivered an organized defensive performance and prevented Real Madrid from causing major damage.
However, the match brought troubling news for the hosts as several Deportivo players were forced off due to injury. Pre-season games leave managers balancing the need to enforce tactical instructions against the risk of summer injuries.
Deportivo mounted a late attempt to equalize as the final whistle approached. Lunin produced a decisive save in the closing minutes to preserve the clean sheet, demonstrating once again his reliable role under Mourinho.
