Real Madrid kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a valuable 2–1 victory over Inter Milan in the marquee fixture of the league phase’s opening matchday at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Inter started the match strongly and established possession control, but two costly defensive errors gifted Real Madrid an early cushion, highlighting Los Blancos’ ruthless ability to punish opponent mistakes on the European stage.
In the 14th minute, Kylian Mbappé pressed Yann Bisseck, causing the German defender to stumble during a clearance attempt. Brahim Díaz capitalized with a one-touch pass behind the defense, sending Mbappé through to finish past Josep Martínez. The strike marked Mbappé’s 71st goal in the competition, drawing him level with Raúl González in joint-fifth on the all-time scoring list.
Valverde Capitalizes on Inter Goalkeeper Error
Federico Valverde doubled the lead in the 23rd minute when Martínez attempted to dribble past the Uruguayan midfielder inside the six-yard box. The Real Madrid captain dispossessed the goalkeeper and turned the ball directly into the net. Valverde has now scored four goals in his last five Champions League appearances, surpassing his tally of three goals from his first 75 matches in the tournament.
The goalkeeper error was part of a broader historical trend: Real Madrid have now scored 30 goals following opponent goalkeeping mistakes in the Champions League since the 2007–2008 season—double the tally of their closest follower, Arsenal (15).
Inter reduced the deficit in the 77th minute when Lautaro Martínez delivered a ball to Carlos Augusto inside the penalty area, with the Brazilian finishing neatly. However, Real Madrid weathered late pressure from the visitors to hold onto all three points.
Courtois Joins the 100 Club
The fixture also marked Thibaut Courtois’ 100th UEFA Champions League appearance, making him the eighth goalkeeper to reach the milestone and the first Belgian player to do so. Since making his competition debut in the 2013–2014 season, Courtois leads all goalkeepers in total saves with 359.
Real Madrid will travel to face Roma in Matchday 2 on Wednesday, October 14, at 21:00 CET (22:00 Cairo time), while Inter host Club Brugge on Tuesday, October 13, at the same time.
