In a chaotic game with 4.78 xG in total, Real Madrid got their first three points of the Champions League campaign as they overcame Italian champions Inter Milan in one of the most challenging fixtures they will face in the league phase of the tournament with a 2-1 win.
71 – Champions League goals for Kylian Mbappé, putting him joint-5th with Raúl
With his strike to open the scoring doing little to calm fans growing frustrated with his poor start to the season, Kylian Mbappé scored his 71st goal in the Champions League to move level with a certain Raúl González Blanco as the fifth
highest scorer in the tournament’s history. Next up on his target list is Karim Benzema’s 90 goals, Robert Lewandowski’s 109, Lionel Messi’s 129 and ultimately Cristiano Ronaldo’s 140.
30 – Goalkeeping errors against Real Madrid in the Champions League
Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martínez was playing in the Bernabéu for the first time and discovered the impact that pressure can have as he joined the likes of Loris Karius and Gianluigi Donnarumma in committing a mistake which led to a goal for Real Madrid’s second goal as he gifted the ball to Fede Valverde. That number of 30 goalkeeping errors in the last 20 years in this competition is twice that of the next highest team to benefit in this way. Some goalkeepers can’t handle the mental pressure of facing Real Madrid.
36 – Games with a goal scored in the UCL under Mourinho, out of 37
The Champions League has always evaded José Mourinho at Real Madrid, but goals most certainly haven’t. In 37 games in charge of the club in the competition, Los Blancos have scored in 36. The only failure to do so was in the 2010/11 semi-final second leg with a 2-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona at the Bernabéu. He has averaged 2.4 goals per game in the competition with Real Madrid, scoring 89 goals to win 24 and draw seven of those 37 games.
9 – Ball recoveries from Vinícius Júnior
Mourinho spoke about Vini’s work rate and determination post-match, and the stats back him up. His nine possession recoveries are the highest he has ever recorded in a Champions League game. In fact, the last time a striker made more recoveries at the Bernabéu for Real Madrid was Gonzalo Higuaín. in 2008, 18 years ago. If Mbappé asked whether it was only him and Vini who needed to press in his pre-match press conference, the evidence shows that the Brazilian isn’t shying away from his responsibilities.
3 – Big chances created by Brahim Díaz
In his second start of the season, somewhat unexpectedly operating on the right flank ahead of star signing Yan Diomande, Brahim Díaz made his claim for a starting spot clear. He created four chances, more than any other player, and three were big chances, including an assist for Kylian Mbappé and a magnificent piece of individual work to set up Jude Bellingham early in the second half only for the Englishman to fail to add the finishing touch.
16 – Wins in the first home game of the UCL season
On 17 occasions, Real Madrid have started their Champions League campaign on home turf. On 16, they have won. The only defeat came away from the Bernabéu, at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano, behind closed doors in 2020 with a 3-2 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.Inter are among the most challenging during that run of fixtures, but home advantage continues to be a tangible benefit for Real Madrid.
