Real Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, handing Jose Mourinho a winning return to the competition with the Spanish giants.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a composed finish from inside the box. The goal marked his 71st in 99 Champions League appearances.
The France captain, now 27, moved level with Real Madrid legend Raul on the competition’s all time scoring list. Only Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more goals in the Champions League and European Cup.
Mbappe’s effort was Real Madrid’s first shot on target. Their next attempt produced another goal.
Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez made a costly error in the 23rd minute. He lost possession after receiving a back pass from Benjamin Pavard.
Federico Valverde quickly pounced on the mistake. The Real Madrid captain dispossessed Martinez and calmly tapped the ball into an empty net to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
Inter had started the match with confidence. Thibaut Courtois, making his 100th Champions League appearance, denied Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez during the opening exchanges.
The Italian champions continued to threaten. Curtis Jones struck the top of the crossbar, while Inter created several other openings as they looked for a way back into the contest.
Martinez then kept Inter alive with two excellent saves before halftime. He denied Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in quick succession, while the post also helped the visitors avoid conceding a third goal.
Inter Fight Back But Real Madrid Hold On
Real Madrid had chances to put the game beyond Inter after the restart. Bellingham, in particular, missed a major opportunity to extend the hosts advantage.
Inter refused to give up. Their pressure eventually paid off in the 77th minute when Carlos Augusto swept the ball into the net.
The goal changed the mood inside the Bernabeu. Inter pushed forward in search of an equaliser, while Real Madrid had to defend their narrow advantage during the closing stages.
Despite securing all three points, some Real Madrid supporters expressed their frustration with the team’s performance during the match.
The victory also maintained Madrid’s impressive home record against Inter. Real had won their previous seven home meetings with the Italian side and six of their last seven encounters overall.
The match also carried extra significance for Mourinho. The Portuguese coach faced the club he guided to Champions League glory in 2010.
Mourinho returned to Real Madrid for another spell in charge and now has a positive start to his latest European campaign with the club.
The win also provided a response to Real Madrid’s previous setback. They had lost 1-0 away to Real Betis in LaLiga before Tuesday’s Champions League clash, which represented Mourinho’s first defeat of the season.
Real Madrid will return to Champions League action against Roma on October 14.
