Mbappé’s Madrid Prepares for Malaga Reunion in LaLiga
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu will roll back the years on matchweek 3 of LaLiga 2026-27, as Malaga CF return to face Real Madrid for the first time since 2018. A lot has changed. The venue is the same, the stakes feel familiar, but this is now Kylian Mbappé’s Madrid, drilled and driven by Jose Mourinho.
Real Madrid arrive in a ruthless mood. Two games, two wins, six goals scored. They opened the campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Espanyol, then tore into Real Sociedad with a 4-1 statement performance that looked far more like the team Mourinho wants them to be.
Defensively, though, the picture is not as spotless as the scorelines suggest. Madrid are still chasing their first clean sheet of the season. Ibrahima Konaté, expected to anchor the back line, has struggled in both league outings so far, a concern that Mourinho will not ignore for long. Around him, others have steadied the ship: Dean Huijsen has impressed, Denzel Dumfries has added edge on the flank, and Álvaro Carreras has taken his chances well.
Midfield starts to hum
Against Real Sociedad, the midfield finally clicked into something more polished. Bernardo Silva produced his sharpest display since arriving in Madrid, dictating tempo and threading passes with the kind of authority the club expected when they signed him. It was his most convincing show of control in white so far.
Alongside him, captain Federico Valverde continues to drive the team with his usual mix of energy and precision, while Arda Güler grows into the role beside him. That trio, when in sync, gives Madrid a platform that can suffocate opponents and feed the devastating front line.
Mbappé ready and firing
As for the key question: will Kylian Mbappé play against Malaga? All signs point one way.
The 27-year-old French forward is fully fit and training at full intensity with the first team. That leaves little doubt he will be involved in the LaLiga clash with Los Blanquiazules.
His form is ominous. In Madrid’s last league outing, Mbappé delivered a sensational hat-trick, tormenting Real Sociedad’s defence from first whistle to last. He stretched the back line, attacked space, and finished with the cold efficiency that has defined his career. Every time he received the ball, the opposition braced for damage.
Crucially for Madrid, the relationships around him are beginning to take shape. Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé are starting to find each other with greater ease, their movements better aligned under Mourinho’s structure. If that triangle continues to develop, it will define the season.
Madrid chase third straight win, Malaga chase a spark
Real Madrid now go hunting for a third straight league win, eager to keep early pressure on the rest of LaLiga. The fixture also carries a small historical note: they have not faced Malaga since 2018, when the Andalusian club last shared the top flight with Spain’s giants.
For Malaga, the return is daunting. Los Blanquiazules are still searching for their first win of the new campaign, and doing it at the Bernabéu only makes the task heavier. Away from home, against a side stacked with elite talent and already in scoring rhythm, the margin for error is thin.
On paper, Madrid’s superior squad depth and individual quality make them clear favourites. Mbappé in full flow, a sharpening midfield, and a Mourinho team smelling early momentum is a brutal combination for any visitor.
The question for Malaga is simple: can they disrupt that rhythm, or will this reunion in Madrid simply underline how far apart these clubs now stand in the LaLiga landscape?
