Ibrahima Konate debuts in Real Madrid victory over Espanyol

Ibrahima Konate made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid in a 2-1 victory over Espanyol. The French defender, who joined the club as a free agent following his departure from Liverpool, was selected to start by head coach Jose Mourinho despite having completed only two weeks of training.

Konate’s performance drew mixed reactions. On one hand, he demonstrated high involvement, recording 89 touches—the most of any player on the pitch—and maintaining a 97% pass completion rate. He also excelled in physical contests, winning four aerial duels. On the other hand, reports from AS suggested his display was inconsistent, noting instances where he appeared out of position and hesitant when building attacks, which contributed to Espanyol’s goal.

The match also marked Mourinho’s return to the Real Madrid dugout and featured six other debutants as part of a squad reconstruction. Konate faces competition for a starting role from Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rudiger.