Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory against his former side Inter Milan during the opening match of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The record 15-time European champions established an early two-goal advantage thanks to mistakes by Inter at the back in the first half. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde put Madrid ahead before Carlos Augusto pulled one back for Cristian Chivu’s side in the second half, but Inter could not find a late equalizer at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The win provided a strong start for Mourinho, who guided Inter to Champions League glory at this same stadium in 2010 before eventually joining Real Madrid. Madrid president Florentino Perez reinstated the Portuguese manager after two trophy-less seasons and early European eliminations, hoping to restore the club’s dominance.
Madrid bounced back from a first defeat of the season in La Liga against Real Betis on Friday. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was instrumental in the win, making several crucial saves while Inter struggled to take advantage of their chances.
Inter started with attacking energy but were undone by defensive errors. In the 14th minute, Curtis Jones made a poor pass that allowed Brahim Diaz to feed Mbappe, who fired home. Shortly after, Valverde capitalized on hesitancy from Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez, who delayed releasing the ball as the Uruguayan closed him down.
Madrid had opportunities to extend their lead before halftime and throughout the match, but Martinez made key saves to keep Inter in contention. Jude Bellingham missed a clear chance just before the hour mark, and Courtois denied Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez earlier in the game.
The match ended nervously after Carlos Augusto’s 77th-minute strike, but Courtois held firm to secure all three points for the home side. The result marks an entertaining and triumphant start to the league phase for Mourinho’s Real Madrid.
2-1 feels accurate for Real Madrid this year—dominant when it counts, but still leaky at the back.
Mbappe and Valverde linking up is already looking dangerous. Can anyone stop them this season?
Defensive mistakes from Inter are costly at this level. Hard to believe they gave away two goals that easily.
Wait, isn’t Ange Postecoglou managing Real Madrid now? This article mentions Mourinho in a very weird context.
Thibaut Courtois looks absolutely elite again. That win would have been much tougher without his crucial saves.