Deportivo La Coruna return to La Liga after finishing second in last season’s Segunda Division, and this preseason meeting with Real Madrid is less about a single friendly than about two clubs in different stages of a rebuild. Deportivo are back in the top flight for 2026-27 after spending four of the last six seasons in the third tier. Madrid, meanwhile, have added six summer signings and tied Vinícius Júnior to a new long-term contract.
Deportivo’s return to the top flight
For Deportivo, the bigger story is the promotion itself. They finished second in Segunda last season and have already spent three preseason matches trying to settle back into top-flight rhythm. The record so far is 3 wins and 3 defeats, which fits a side that looks competitive but still uneven.
That return also carries some weight because the club has not simply drifted back up. They were stuck in the third tier in four of the last six seasons before this promotion, so getting back to La Liga is the real headline here. Antonio Hidalgo’s side now gets a proper test against a Madrid squad that has barely stopped moving since the summer window opened.
Madrid’s summer reset
Real Madrid have made six summer signings, with Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Carlos Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva all added to the squad. They have already played three preseason matches, and this fixture is another step in bedding in that many new faces before the season starts in earnest.
The other obvious talking point is Vinicius. Madrid announced a new long-term contract for the forward while he was being linked with Arsenal, and that sits neatly beside his season output of 5 appearances, 4 goals and 1 assist. His 7.94 season rating also helps explain why Madrid were keen to settle the situation quickly.
The friendly therefore has a bit more shape than the usual summer run-out. Deportivo are trying to show they belong back in La Liga, while Madrid are using the same stage to integrate new signings and keep hold of one of their most important attacking players. The next checkpoint for both sides comes here, before the season proper begins to tell a fuller story.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
