López played his first game in his second spell on 30 January 2013, in a 1–1 home draw against FC Barcelona in the Spanish Cup semi-finals. On 5 March, he made a string of saves as Real beat Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford to qualify for the last-eight in the Champions League (3–2 on aggregate); after the match, coach José Mourinho said: "Diego López was the best player in my team". He retained his position until the end of the season, even though Casillas had already returned to full fitness.