Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad: Mbappé’s hat-trick and a second-half surge mark Mourinho’s Bernabéu homecoming

There are nights at the Santiago Bernabéu when the place feels like it is holding its breath. Wednesday night, 26 August 2026, was one of them. José Mourinho stood on the touchline for the first time in more than thirteen years as Real Madrid’s manager. The crowd of 72,226 had come for a statement. What they got, after a messy first half and some early jeers, was a 4-1 win powered by Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick and a ruthless second-half display that finally let everyone exhale.

This was the rescheduled Matchday 1 fixture, pushed back because of World Cup commitments. Madrid had already started their season with a scrappy 2-1 win at Espanyol four days earlier. Real Sociedad had lost their opener to Real Betis. On paper it looked like a home banker. In the flesh it took time.

Preview: Expectation, nerves and the Special One’s return

In the days leading up to the game the conversation was less about tactics and more about atmosphere. Mourinho’s second spell had been confirmed in June after Florentino Pérez’s re-election. He arrived with the usual mix of nostalgia and raised eyebrows. Thirteen years is a long time. The squad he inherited was stacked with talent—Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde—but it had not won a major trophy in two seasons. Injuries had thinned the defensive options. Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Raúl Asencio and Ferland Mendy were all out. Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté started at centre-back. Álvaro Carreras got the nod at left-back ahead of Marc Cucurella.

Real Sociedad arrived with their own issues. Álvaro Odriozola was long-term injured. The side under Pellegrino Matarazzo had shown fight against Betis but lacked a cutting edge. Mikel Oyarzabal started. Takefusa Kubo and Luka Sučić offered threat on the break. Alex Remiro was between the posts.

Most previews tipped a comfortable Madrid win. The smart money was on Mbappé to score and on Madrid’s front line eventually overrunning a Sociedad defence that likes to play. The question was whether Mourinho’s new-look side would look coherent after only a handful of competitive minutes together. The Bernabéu is not patient. Everyone knew that.

Analysis: Two halves, one clear message

The first half was awkward. Madrid were slow in possession, careless in the final third and occasionally open at the back. Sociedad looked sharper in the early stages. In the 10th minute Kubo intercepted a loose pass and fed Oyarzabal. Courtois made a smart close-range save. Later Sergio Gómez flashed a volley just wide. The home crowd grew restless. By the half-hour mark the jeers were audible. Mourinho later called them “a sense of justice” and said the odd boo helps you grow. He was being diplomatic. It was not pretty.

Then Mbappé intervened. In the 40th minute Valverde carried the ball from deep and slipped a perfect pass into the channel. Mbappé took a touch, shifted left and smashed a left-footed shot into the top corner. 1-0. The stadium woke up. Four minutes later it fell quiet again. A long ball caused chaos. Job Ochieng’s effort deflected, Sučić arrived unmarked on the right and drilled a low shot past Courtois. 1-1 at the break. Fair on the balance of play, if not on the quality of Madrid’s defending.

Mourinho made one change at half-time: Carreras off, Cucurella on. The difference was immediate. Madrid pressed higher. Vinícius and Mbappé started running at the back line with purpose. Bellingham dropped deeper and began dictating. The tempo rose. On the hour the lead was restored. Mbappé and Bellingham combined in a sharp one-two. Mbappé finished low past Remiro. 2-1. Eight minutes later Bellingham won the ball high, drove to the byline and cut it back. Vinícius tapped in from close range. 3-1. The game was over as a contest.

Mbappé completed the hat-trick in the 80th minute. Vinícius slipped a clever pass through, Mbappé took a touch and chipped Remiro with the calm of a man who has done this a hundred times. 4-1. There was still time for Brahim Díaz to have a goal ruled out for offside after a VAR check. The final whistle brought relief more than ecstasy. Madrid had been clinical when it mattered. Sociedad had been competitive for forty-five minutes and then overrun.

Statistically the numbers told a story of control that only arrived after the interval. Madrid had the better expected goals, more shots and more touches in the box. Possession was nearly even. The decisive factor was quality in the final third and the intensity of the press once Cucurella came on and the front three started stretching the pitch.

Mourinho was measured afterwards. He praised Mbappé—“this guy is incredible”—but insisted the performance was a team one. He noted the response after the boos. For a manager returning after more than a decade, that mattered. The Bernabéu had demanded better and, eventually, received it.

Top highlights

• Mbappé’s first goal (40’): Valverde’s progressive carry and inch-perfect pass, Mbappé’s first touch creating the angle, the left-footed rocket into the far top corner. Pure class and the moment the night shifted.
• Sučić’s equaliser (44’): A reminder that Madrid’s defence was still settling. The long ball, the deflection, Sučić’s composure to finish low. Sociedad’s best moment of the match.
• The second-half transformation: Cucurella’s introduction, the higher press, Vinícius and Mbappé suddenly looking unplayable. From disjointed to dominant in fifteen minutes.
• Bellingham’s double assist: The one-two for Mbappé’s second, then the high win and cut-back for Vinícius. The Englishman looked every bit the midfield general.
• Mbappé’s chip for the hat-trick (80’): Vinícius’s nutmeg pass, Mbappé’s composure, the delicate lift over Remiro. A finish that said the job was done and he was enjoying himself.
• Courtois’s early save: Denied Oyarzabal when the score was still 0-0. Without it the evening could have been very different.
• The atmosphere swing: Early jeers turning into sustained support once Madrid took control. Classic Bernabéu—demanding, then roaring.

Summary

Real Madrid are top of La Liga after two wins from two. Six points, six goals scored, two conceded. Mbappé has three already. Vinícius has a goal and an assist. Bellingham has two assists. Valverde continues to cover every blade of grass. Mourinho has a home win in the bag and evidence that the second half of matches can be controlled.

There are caveats. The first half was not good enough. The injury list remains long. Sociedad will feel they contributed to an entertaining evening and will take encouragement from their early threat. But the result is what counts at this stage of the season. Madrid needed a response after the Espanyol drama and after the half-time discontent. They delivered one.

For Mourinho the night was personal. Thirteen years is a long exile. Walking out to a full Bernabéu, hearing the mixed early reaction, then watching his team dismantle a solid side in the second half—those are the moments that stick. He spoke afterwards about hunger, about the team, about the demanding nature of the stadium. The usual Mourinho mix of steel and understatement.

Looking ahead, Madrid host Málaga on Sunday. Another home game, another chance to build rhythm. The squad will need rotation. The fixtures come thick and fast. Yet for one night the story was simple: Mbappé scored three, Madrid scored four, and the Special One left the Bernabéu with three points and a smile he tried not to show too widely.

Football at this level is rarely perfect. This was not a perfect performance. It was, however, a convincing one when it counted. In August that is often enough. The league table does not care about style points in the first half. It cares about results. Real Madrid have them. Real Sociedad will look to bounce back at home. And the rest of La Liga has been given an early reminder that when Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham click, the damage can be severe.

The Bernabéu has seen plenty of hat-tricks. This one felt like the start of something. Whether that something becomes a title challenge will take months to answer. For now, the answer on the pitch was clear enough: 4-1, three points, and a manager who still knows how to get a reaction out of this place.