Real Madrid Win the Teresa Herrera as Brahim Sinks Deportivo
Eight years after their last visit, Real Madrid returned to Riazor on Wednesday night and left with the Teresa Herrera trophy. Brahim Díaz’s composed solo finish — conjured, remarkably, by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin — was enough to beat Deportivo La Coruña 1-0 in the 81st edition of the historic friendly, extending José Mourinho’s unbeaten pre-season.
For Mourinho, though, the night was less about silverware than the test. Against a Deportivo side returning to LaLiga and desperate to win a competition steeped in local tradition, Los Blancos were made to work for everything — precisely the kind of examination, the manager suggested afterwards, that his rebuilt squad needs.
How the Teresa Herrera was won
The opening exchanges were measured from both sides. Vinícius Júnior, handed his first start of the summer and the armband on the night, tried his luck twice early on without success, and Antonio Rüdiger collected the game’s first booking on 28 minutes. The clearest opening before the goal arrived when Arda Güler’s cross was diverted goalwards by a Deportivo defender, forcing Leo Román into a fine tip behind, while Dean Huijsen and Denzel Dumfries both went close as the half wore on.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, came the goal — and a strange, wonderful goal it was. Lunin claimed Lucas Noubi’s header from a Deportivo set-piece and, spotting Brahim in space, immediately launched the ball downfield. Brahim chested it down in full stride, carried it to the edge of the box and finished calmly past Román.
“It’s quite natural from corners — you catch the ball and always try to release it quickly,” the goalkeeper explained afterwards, via Bernabéu Digital. “I didn’t know Brahim was that fast.”
Mourinho: ‘The team is growing’
“A serious match against a team returning to LaLiga, for whom this trophy holds great tradition — and they gave it their all,” Mourinho told Real Madrid TV, via Madrid Universal. “One thing I like is that in a match of this difficulty, with changes to the line-up, but also to formations and roles, the team played to get a result. We’ll have many matches like this in LaLiga, mainly away from home. Lots of positives; the team is growing.”
The rotation was deliberate. Federico Valverde and Güler were given just 45 minutes each as Mourinho continues to manage workloads, the manager insisting the game was “here to be won” but above all about “working, giving players minutes, testing things out”.
Bernardo’s new role and a hostile night for Vinícius
The experiments were everywhere. Bernardo Silva made his first Real Madrid start, stationed not near the box but alongside Eduardo Camavinga in the deeper role Mourinho has been testing him in. According to Bernabéu Digital, the Portuguese offered construction and constant availability rather than incision — broadly what the role asks of him, even if Madrid still laboured to break Deportivo’s lines.
Vinícius, meanwhile, endured a hostile evening. Madrid Universal reports that every touch from the Brazilian was booed by a section of the home support, with Endrick and Álvaro Carreras also whistled. It did little to move him from the centre of Madrid’s attacking play, even if sharpness, on a first start of the summer, was understandably lacking.
The last word belonged to the match-winner — and he gave it away. “Lunin spotted me in a good position, and controlling it with my chest gave me a real advantage,” Brahim said. “A good goal, but it’s all down to Lunin.” A goalkeeper’s assist, a trophy lifted and a team visibly growing: with LaLiga around the corner, Madridistas will happily take all three.
