After blasting Real Sociedad into smithereens 4-1 on Matchday 2 of the 2026/27 La Liga season, Real Madrid ripped apart their weekend opponents with an even more dominant display, cleaning house defensively, too, with a 4-0 win over Spanish top flight returnees Malaga.
Although Dean Huijsen was not one of the most highly praised players on the pitch this time, the Spanish international delivered another solid performance, this time standing out next to a suddenly resurgent Antonio Rudiger in central defense.
Huijsen did his best work on the ball, though, once again earning praise from Jose Mourinho after the game for his clean work in possession, his ability to progress the ball, and his skill as passer despite being a defender.
Jose Mourinho needs Dean Huijsen to defend every single week
But as Mourinho reminded everyone, Huijsen is a defender first and foremost. Although like any manager, Mou won't say no to a player who is great on the ball and can make things happen, for a coach who prioritizes steady defensive work like the Portuguese international, the art of actually defending comes first and foremost for Mou.
Dean Huijsen will do well to remember that, because, so far, he hasn't really been tested. Espanyol and Malaga don't exactly have great attacking fire power, and while Real Sociedad do have an amazing player in Spanish national team No. 9 Mikel Oyarzabal, whom Madridistas are very familiar with over the years, they didn't have the team to supply him and turn him into a real threat to the Real Madrid defense.
The former Bournemouth center back is going to face much sterner tests, and last season, he concerned quite a few people at Real Madrid because he struggled so much against the real top teams in La Liga, such as rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. But it was also his first season as a young center back, and he didn't have real warriors like Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva to help him out defensively.
As long as Huijsen continues to raise his standards and does not let the defending slip, he should be good. What he is doing on the ball truly is immensely valuable to Real Madrid, especially in comparison to even himself last year - let alone whatever the heck Raul Asencio was doing - but maintaining the highest level of defensive quality, consistency, and discipline will be truly paramount to his place in any Jose Mourinho team.
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