There is a trite expression that says those who do not study the past are doomed to repeat it. Hopefully, for Madrid fans, history will repeat itself this campaign.

Saturday saw Jose Mourinho record his first victory at the club since taking the reigns as manager while Los Blancos’ rivals to the North were shockingly upset by newly promoted Hercules Alicante. The Valencian club has spent the majority of their professional existence floating between the Segunda and Tercera divisions; however, after a 12 year run in the top flight saw Los Blanquiazules back down to the Segunda, the side made a brief one year return in 1996/97. Notably beating FC Barcelona twice as Real Madrid were crowned the Champions of Spain.

While it is incredibly early to begin title speculation, supporters in the Spanish capital will hope the results from the past weekend will serve as an positive omen.

Mourinho’s Madrid continues to grow as a team, looking more like a cohesive unit with every passing minute at the Bernabeu on Saturday. Ozil and Khedira made their debuts in the starting eleven, days after the Madrid boss admitted in Marca that he was having trouble communicating with the German internationals. The former’s creativity was on display as a brilliant run set-up the only goal of the game. It took a crafty save from Ricardo to deny Ronaldo after Ozil’s ball had the Portuguese poised to open the scoring for Madrid. Cristiano, however, was able to poke the rebound to an unmarked Ricardo Carvalho, the Portugal defender easily finishing to give Madrid the only goal they would need to secure all three points.

Ricardo Carvalho celebrates his winner against Osasuna ©GettyImages

Madrid dominated both possession and attempts on net, though, both players and coach were quick to reflect they were not in their finest form. Similar to their La Liga opener at Mallorca, Madrid were unable to convert a plethora of opportunities in Saturday's 1-0 victory over Osasuna with Gonzalo Higuain the most guilty. Cristiano Ronaldo asked for patience from the supporters while hailing his compatriot's tactics as manager after the match. The Portuguese star emphasizing the most important take-away from the match, the result.

As we saw with the squad from last year, Madrid will mature throughout the season; nevertheless, it is important, throughout these early stages to still drive positive results. Unlike in Mallorca, where Madrid were unable to capitalize on their domination, Los Blancos took all three points they deserved on Saturday on their home turf. A mid-week fixture against Ajax, as the squad begins Champions League play in a very difficult group, will continue to set the tone for the season. A deep roster will help the capital side club in their quest to end a trophy drought at the Bernabeu though it is imperative that, as they continue to gel, Madrid continue to earn results.