Real Madrid made Inter pay for a mistake-laden first half to win 2-1 at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, handing José Mourinho a winning start to his Champions League tenure. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring at 14 minutes and Valverde doubled the lead nine minutes later as the hosts raced into a commanding position. Carlos Augusto pulled one back for Inter in the 77th minute to set up a nervy finish, but Courtois and a well-drilled Madrid backline held firm. According to The Guardian, Real Madrid clung on through an uncomfortable closing stretch.
Key Moments
- 14′, Kylian Mbappé opens the scoring, finishing from a Brahim Díaz assist to give Real Madrid an early lead.
- 23′, Valverde doubles the advantage with an unassisted finish, putting Madrid firmly in control before the half-hour mark.
- 39′, Çalhanoğlu picks up a yellow card for a foul, adding to Inter’s growing frustrations in a troubled first half.
- 45′, Inter make a half-time change at half-time, with Pavard replaced by Stones as Cristian Chivu reshapes his defense.
- 60′, Chivu throws on three substitutes simultaneously, sending Sučić, Zieliński, and Bonny on for Barella, Çalhanoğlu, and Thuram in a bid to change the game.
- 77′, Carlos Augusto reduces the deficit with a goal assisted by Lautaro Martínez, reigniting the contest with 13 minutes to play.
- 79′, Madrid respond with their own double change, bringing on Tchouaméni and Diomande to shore up the midfield.
Tactical Breakdown
The numbers on the night tell a story that Madrid’s two-goal lead at half-time doesn’t fully capture. Inter dominated possession at 64% and generated 21 total shots to Madrid’s 16, with 11 corners to Madrid’s four. But as AP News reported, Real punished Inter’s errors rather than outplaying them, and the scoreboard reflected clinical finishing rather than territorial supremacy. Courtois faced seven shots on target and stopped six, keeping Madrid ahead through a second half in which Inter increasingly controlled the ball.
Mourinho set up in a 4-2-3-1 that asked his team to be compact and transition quickly, and for 45 minutes it worked precisely as intended. Madrid’s two goals came from sharp moves capitalizing on defensive lapses, with Brahim Díaz threading through to set up Mbappé before Valverde added a solo finish. Chivu’s triple substitution at the 60-minute mark shifted the balance, and the withdrawal of Pavard at half-time for Stones showed Inter were already adjusting early. Carlos Augusto’s goal from the left midfield position, assisted by Lautaro Martínez, gave the visitors genuine hope, and the final minutes grew increasingly frantic.
Inter’s use of possession ultimately lacked precision in the areas that matter. Despite their dominance of the ball, they could not convert their pressure into a second goal, and their defensive errors in the first 25 minutes proved too costly. The triple change at the hour mark helped Inter gain momentum and generate the 77th-minute goal, but by then Madrid had established the sort of cushion that Mourinho’s sides tend to defend stubbornly. As Huijsen said after the game via realmadrid.com, ‘It was a crazy game, we had plenty of chances to score more goals.’
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Mourinho takes three points from his first Champions League match back in charge of a club side, and Madrid did so without playing anywhere near their ceiling, according to ESPN. Inter showed enough in the second half to suggest they can be competitive in this league stage, but self-inflicted wounds in the first half made the task too difficult. Courtois summed it up plainly via realmadrid.com: ‘We should have closed the game earlier.’
Inter
Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappé