Ferencváros 1-2 Real Madrid: Youngsters earn pre-season victory in Budapest
Goals from youth prospects Mario Rivas and Carlos Espí earned Real Madrid a hard-fought 2-1 pre-season friendly victory over Hungarian champions Ferencváros at the Ferencváros Stadion in Budapest.
In José Mourinho’s second match in charge, the La Liga giants produced an assured opening half before fending off a spirited second-half revival from the hosts.
Driven by the creative spark of Arda Güler in midfield, Real Madrid dominated early exchanges. Güler forced a sharp save from Dibusz in the ninth minute, before setting up Endrick moments later as Madrid pressed high up the pitch.
The pressure told four minutes before the break. Right-back Alexis Ciria swung in an inviting cross, allowing academy forward Mario Rivas to power home a diving header for his first senior goal.
Mourinho made seven changes at half-time, introducing marquee summer signing Bernardo Silva for his club debut alongside Vinícius Júnior for his first pre-season action.
The refreshed line-up doubled Madrid’s lead five minutes into the second half. Güler picked out Fede Valverde inside the box, and the captain expertly set up 19-year-old Carlos Espí to sweep a precise finish into the far corner.
Ferencváros, who arrived with greater match fitness having already played competitive European qualifiers, responded swiftly. Kenan Kodro met a Kristoffer Zachariassen delivery with a glancing header in the 56th minute to cut the deficit.
The Hungarian side pressed for a late equalizer, but Real Madrid held firm through the closing stages to maintain their unbeaten start to pre-season.
Speaking after the match, manager José Mourinho welcomed the competitive nature of the workout and reflected candidly on the performance:
”I liked the first half more than the second,” Mourinho told Real Madrid TV. “We had very good control of the game. In the second half, with Vini and Bernardo coming on who haven’t had many minutes, we lost some organization. But these mistakes allow us to analyze and improve.”
On Bernardo Silva’s debut, Mourinho added: “Bernardo is very important, but he arrived at a lower physical level after his vacation. It is a process, and he will get better game by game.”
Real Madrid continue their pre-season schedule on Wednesday when they face Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy.
