Real Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a dramatic 2-1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday, giving Jose Mourinho a winning return against the club he previously guided to European glory. The 15-time European champions struck twice in the opening half, with Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde capitalising on costly Inter mistakes to put Madrid in command.
Cristian Chivu’s side responded after the break when Carlos Augusto found the net, but despite sustained pressure, Inter could not produce a second goal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The match carried plenty of history for Mourinho. He led Inter to the Champions League title in 2010 at the Bernabeu, the most recent occasion on which either the Portuguese coach or the Italian club won the competition.
Mourinho left for Real Madrid just days later for his first spell in charge of the Spanish giants.
Following two trophyless seasons and disappointing early departures from Europe, Madrid president Florentino Perez turned to the experienced Portuguese coach once again.
Mourinho’s return began with an entertaining Champions League victory, despite Madrid having to withstand significant pressure.
Madrid entered the match looking to recover from Friday’s first defeat of the campaign against Real Betis in La Liga. They ultimately did so, although goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was repeatedly called upon to preserve the advantage as Inter failed to make the most of their opportunities.
“It was a crazy game,” Mourinho told Movistar. “Often there’s criticism when a match is boring and today it was a crazy game. A game that finished 2-1 could have finished 7-6 without any problems.”
Mourinho acknowledged that Madrid never truly managed to dictate proceedings, but pointed out that Inter struggled to establish control as well.
“If you don’t have control and they have it, it’s a very difficult situation,” he continued. “However, if you don’t have it and they don’t have it… Courtois made a lot of saves, but how many chances did we not take?… It was a great game.”
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez also accepted that his side’s inability to convert chances proved costly. Courtois, making his 100th Champions League appearance, produced several important interventions.
“We were unable to make the most of all the chances we created,” said the Inter skipper. “We still leave here with heads held high, as we played at a high level against a great opponent. Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but we need to improve in front of goal and could have done better.”
Inter came out aggressively and looked dangerous during the early exchanges, but their defensive errors handed Madrid a significant advantage.
Courtois was forced into two early saves as the visitors tested the home defence.
Madrid broke the deadlock in the 14th minute after Curtis Jones’s misplaced pass left Yann Bisseck under pressure. Brahim Diaz seized on the loose ball and sent it through to Mbappe, who finished quickly to give the hosts the lead.
Inter then gifted Madrid a second goal. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez took too long to release the ball, allowing Valverde to close him down. The Uruguay midfielder won possession and sent the ball into the net to double Madrid’s advantage.
Madrid had opportunities to extend their lead before the interval, but Josep Martinez redeemed himself with a remarkable stop against Jude Bellingham. Mbappe raced beyond the Inter defence before seeing his low effort kept out. The goalkeeper then somehow got across to deny Bellingham from close range.
At the other end, Courtois continued to prove his importance to Madrid, pushing away a low attempt from Alessandro Bastoni as Inter searched for a way back into the contest.
Inter eventually found their breakthrough in the 77th minute. Lautaro Martinez supplied the cross and Carlos Augusto powered the ball beyond Courtois, setting up a tense final period. Madrid were forced to defend their narrow advantage until the final whistle, with Courtois making one more crucial intervention. He reacted to keep out a deflected effort from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and secured all three points for the hosts.
With AFP Inputs
