Deportivo vs Real Madrid: 81st Trofeo Teresa Herrera Preview
Deportivo step back under the Riazor lights on Wednesday night with a fitting welcome party: Real Madrid, José Mourinho on the touchline, and the 81st Trofeo Teresa Herrera on the line. Eight years after slipping out of La Liga, Dépor mark their return by inviting the giants who haven’t appeared in this historic summer trophy since 2013.
It feels less like a friendly, more like a statement of intent.
Dépor’s new era, built on solidity
Antonio Hidalgo brings a side that has quietly put together an impressive summer. Six games, no defeats. Wins over Compostela, Lugo and Genoa, draws with Oviedo, St. Pauli and Fiorentina. Kevin Sánchez’s late goal at the Luigi Ferraris to clinch the Trofeo Spagnolo underlined a growing resilience and belief.
The club have backed this return to the top flight with close to €30m in spending. Leo Román arrives to command the penalty area, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gives them a marquee finisher and a dressing-room reference point. It’s a bold, ambitious rebuild.
Not everything has clicked. The Italian tour exposed a vulnerability defending crosses, a concern when Real Madrid roll into town with wide threats and late runners. Yeremay Hernández, one of the brightest attacking sparks, remains under careful management from the physios and is still being eased back.
What has worked is the structure. Dépor have conceded only three goals across six pre-season games. Four of those matches finished with three goals or fewer. They opened with three straight clean sheets: 4-0 over Compostela, 0-0 at Oviedo, 1-0 against Lugo. Then came a credible 1-1 draw with Fiorentina and a gritty 1-0 win over Genoa, again sealed late by Kevin Sánchez.
This is not a side looking to trade blows. It is a side trying to control chaos.
Mourinho’s Madrid still under construction
On the other bench, Mourinho is still in the scaffolding phase of his Real Madrid project. His first pre-season win finally arrived in Budapest, a 2-1 victory over Ferencváros, but even that came with a familiar warning sign: another goal conceded, another reminder that this defence is far from settled.
Before Hungary, Madrid had squandered a two-goal lead against Fiorentina. Endrick and Alexis Ciria put them 2-0 up inside 24 minutes; it still ended nervy. The pattern is clear: they start fast, they don’t finish with the same control.
The squad list tells you why. Kylian Mbappé, Aurelien Tchouaméni, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahim Konaté only returned to training on Monday after extended post-World Cup breaks. Jude Bellingham is still to rejoin the group. Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Marco Asencio remain out.
The result is a patched-together back line built around academy names and new combinations. The quality further forward is undeniable – Endrick, Vinícius Júnior, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva give Madrid a devastating front four on paper – but a clean sheet looks a long shot while the spine is still being assembled.
Likely XIs: youth, stars and new faces
Deportivo are expected to line up with Leo Román in goal behind Ximo Navarro, Noubi, Bright Ede and Angeliño. Amatucci, Gijselhart and Mario Soriano should provide the midfield platform, with Luismi Cruz supporting Aubameyang and Nsongo Bil in attack.
Madrid’s probable team features Lunin in goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, Huijsen and Joan Martínez in central defence, and Carreras at left-back. Valverde, Camavinga and Arda Güler form an energetic and creative midfield three behind Bernardo Silva, Vinícius Júnior and Endrick.
It’s a blend of raw legs and elite talent, with the biggest names – Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Cucurella, Konaté – likely to be kept for cameos at best after just returning to training.
Where the game tilts
All signs point to a tight contest rather than a goal-fest. Deportivo’s summer numbers lean that way: four of six matches with three or fewer goals, just three conceded overall, and a coach who has clearly prioritised structure in this crucial transition back to La Liga.
Madrid’s pre-season form pulls in the same direction, but for different reasons. They have scored, they have entertained, yet they have also conceded in each of their three public outings. Fiorentina came back from 2-0 down; Ferencváros found a way through in Budapest. With Militão still absent and the new defensive pieces short of rhythm, the back line looks vulnerable enough to give Dépor encouragement.
Hidalgo’s side have found the net in five of their six friendlies, failing to score only in that 0-0 at Oviedo. Aubameyang’s presence sharpens everything in the final third. Against a Madrid defence short on familiarity, Dépor should fancy at least one breakthrough.
The likely pattern? Madrid strike first, as they have in their last two friendlies. Against Fiorentina they led 2-0 early and went in 2-1 up at the break. Against Ferencváros, Mario Rivas scored in the 41st minute before Carlos Espí added a second in a 2-1 win. The fit squad players have been aggressive from the start, trying to impress before the Galácticos return to full duty.
Expect more of the same at Riazor: Madrid on the front foot early, Deportivo growing into the game, and the contest tightening as legs tire and benches empty.
The edge, and the question
On balance, Madrid still carry too much firepower. Vinícius, Endrick and Güler can decide a match in a single action, and Bernardo Silva’s craft between the lines offers the kind of control that pre-season often lacks. A 2-1 away win feels like the natural scoreline, with Dépor’s organisation keeping the contest alive and their attack doing enough to trouble a makeshift defence.
Under 3.5 goals looks well aligned with both teams’ summer trends. Madrid to win with both teams scoring fits the tactical picture and the personnel on show. A fast Madrid start, a Dépor response, and the visitors just doing enough to get over the line.
For Deportivo, the real intrigue lies beyond the trophy itself. If they can live with Madrid’s tempo and test this defence, how far can this new-look side push once La Liga begins in earnest?
