Jose Mourinho can't forget about Carlos Espi

Real Madrid backup striker Carlos Espi was one of the stories of the first Matchday of the 2026/27 La Liga season and pretty much went viral after scoring the winning goal against Espanyol, pouncing on a situation superstar striker Kylian Mbappe was fumbling before burying the ball in the back of the net to earn Joselu 2.0 shouts from fans and even Madrid teammates like Jude Bellingham.

It wasn't just the goal that caused Real Madrid fans to turn heads. Espi's size, physicality, work rate, willingness to run, and ability to create chances for others really jumped off the page, and he actually look like a better backup striker for Real Madrid than even Joselu, Endrick, or the player the Merengues sold before signing him from Levante, current Fulham star Gonzalo Garcia.

But after those scintillating 10 minutes against Espanyol, Espi only got 4 minutes of action against Real Sociedad the following Wednesday night on Matchday 2. And then this weekend in a 4-0 win over Malaga, Espi did not get to hear his number called by Jose Mourinho at all, sitting on the bench for the duration of the blowout win over the La Liga returnees.

Carlos Espi needs to be utilized off the bench

Real Madrid are going to need a sharp Espi this season, because he brings a different dynamic to the team with his size and No. 9 profile, as well as great explosion and an all around skill set. You can see why Juni Calafat and Jose Mourinho were both so moved to make sure they brought this guy to the Santiago Bernabeu; you can imagine what would have happened if he got into Barcelona's or Atletico Madrid's hands instead.

But Mourinho cannot forget about Espi going forward. The young Spanish international obviously can't start many games or even come off the bench in all of them, but he should be a factor as a sub in more matches than not, including at the La Liga level - and even against better teams than Espanyol.

Though it was disappointing for Madridistas not to see Carlos Espi out there on Sunday afternoon against Malaga, it is obviously not the end of the world. It just can't become a trend for Mourinho and Madrid, because Espi is a real difference maker in so many ways. Endrick coming back from an injuruy is going to eat into Espi's chances, too, so Mou has to be sure to remember his name around minute 70 or 80 each weekend.

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