Portugal star Bernardo Silva took part in his first training session as a Real Madrid player on Monday. He joined the squad at the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex in Valdebebas. The Portuguese midfielder trained alongside Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz as Jose Mourinho continued preparations for the new season. The video of him entering the building was shared by Fabrizio Romano and it went viral on social media. The session marked the start of Real Madrid’s fourth week of pre-season. Silva joined the club on a free transfer from Manchester City in June after signing a two-year contract. He has joined his new teammates following the completion of his medical and registration formalities.
According to the Real Madrid club press release, players who started the recent friendly against Fiorentina followed individual recovery plans. The rest of the squad began with fitness work and pressing drills. The session then moved into passing combinations before ending with shooting exercises. Dean Huijsen split his work between the gym and light training on the pitch without the ball.
Asencio, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo remained on their respective recovery programmes. Silva’s first session was an important step as he joins Real Madrid after spending the previous nine seasons at Manchester City. The 31-year-old now begins a fresh challenge in Spain, with Jose Mourinho looking to integrate him into the squad ahead of the club’s remaining preseason fixtures and the start of the new La Liga season.
Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid Era Begins with 2-2 Draw Against Fiorentina
Jose Mourinho’s second stint as a Real Madrid manager began with a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in Austria on Monday. The result was not the perfect start Mourinho would have wanted but there were plenty of positives to take from the opening friendly. A number of senior internationals made their way back into the squad. Mourinho named a strong starting XI featuring Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler and summer signing Denzel Dumfries, who made his unofficial debut. Real Madrid made an energetic start and deservedly took the lead through Endrick. The 20-year-old showed his quality with a superb left-footed finish after creating space inside the penalty area to score the first goal.
Real Madrid continued to dominate possession and doubled their advantage before the break. Alexis Ciria capped off a slick team move with a composed finish after excellent build-up play from his teammates. Fiorentina came back strongly after halftime and gradually found their way back into the contest. The Italian side pulled one goal back before completing the comeback later in the second half to ensure the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Real Madrid will now continue their pre-season preparations with more friendlies as they plan to get their best combination.
