What is the story about?
Real
Madrid’s 2-1 win against Inter in the Champions League opener didn’t answer a lot of questions that the fans already had. Here’s what transpired from that victory.
The Positives
- A win is a win. Real Madrid were forced to rebuild their midfield and start Alexander-Arnold there because of injuries (Tchouameni) and suspensions (Güler, Camavinga, Silva). Still, they got the three points against one of the best teams they will face in this Group Stage. That matters.
- Thibaut Courtois delivers his first masterclass of the season. He still has it. Courtois is already 34 years old and he will enter his decline sooner rather than later. But it is not this day. He rescued the three points for Real Madrid and appears ready to keep his “world’s best goalkeeper” title alive another year. He will be there when Madrid need him.
- Brahim is ready to contribute. He was the best attacker on the field last night. He is vertical, his dribbling is still effective and while he could’ve made a better decision in certain instances of the game, he definitely provided a spark and proved to be ready for his role off the bench.
The negatives
- Still can’t control the game against elite opposition. It’s fair to safe that Inter didn’t control the game either, as Mourinho noted post-game. It was a chaotic game where both teams could’ve walked away with the three points. However, this will be a recipe for disaster when Madrid face even better teams like Arsenal, PSG, Bayern or Barça. Mourinho’s team still has work to do.
- Mbappé’s finishing continues to be off. The next two games against Rayo Vallecano and Elche will be crucial for him to gain some confidence and momentum ahead of the Derbi against Atlético de Madrid on September 20th. Real Madrid will need a better version of him then.
- Vinicius’ dribbling is also off. He can’t shake his defender the way he used to and his burst of acceleration isn’t quite there either. If Real Madrid want to be successful not only this year but also the following seasons they will need him to earn the extension he was just given.
