Jose Mourinho marked his return to the Champions League with a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid over his former club, Inter Milan, in a high-intensity opening match on Tuesday. The result provided a much-needed boost for the Spanish giants following their recent La Liga defeat to Real Betis.
The match, held at the Santiago Bernabeu, saw the 15-time European champions capitalize on defensive lapses from the visitors. The scoring opened in the 14th minute when a misplaced pass from Curtis Jones forced Yann Bisseck into a difficult position; Brahim Diaz intercepted the ball and set up Kylian Mbappe, who clinicaly fired home the opener.
Madrid doubled their lead through Fede Valverde after a significant blunder by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. The keeper hesitated while in possession, allowing the Uruguayan midfielder to charge down the ball, strip it away, and tap it into the net. Despite this error, Martinez later redeemed himself with a series of impressive saves to keep his side in contention.
Inter Milan, managed by Cristian Chivu, showed resilience throughout the contest. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was instrumental for Madrid, producing key saves to deny Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez, and Alessandro Bastoni. The visitors eventually found a breakthrough in the 77th minute when Carlos Augusto converted a cross from Lautaro Martinez, setting up a tense final period.
The match remained open until the final whistle, with Courtois forced to parry a deflected effort from Henrikh Mkhitaryan to preserve the lead. Madrid had several opportunities to extend their advantage, but Jude Bellingham and Mbappe were repeatedly thwarted by the Inter defense and goalkeeper.
Bellingham notably missed a significant chance before the hour mark; after receiving a clever cross from Diaz, the England international opted to control the ball rather than strike it immediately, allowing Martinez to recover and make a crucial save.
Tensions rose late in the game when Madrid fans expressed frustration during a substitution. Alvaro Carreras was forced to wait on the sidelines for a minute because Vinicius Junior was slow to exit the pitch, adding to the drama of a competitive evening.
This fixture carried historical weight, as Mourinho previously led Inter Milan to Champions League glory at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2010, just days before he began his first tenure at the helm of Real Madrid. President Florentino Perez brought the Portuguese manager back this season to address the team’s recent lack of major silverware and early European exits.
While Inter Milan demonstrated energy and intent, their defensive errors proved costly in a match where they were ultimately left to rue missed opportunities. For Mourinho, the win serves as a positive start to the league phase of the competition as he looks to restore Madrid to the pinnacle of European football. The report also notes that the last time either they or he managed to lift the trophy, a few days before joining Los Blancos for his first stint at t, madrid coach Mourinho led the Italian side to Champions League glory in 2010 at the same stadium. The report also notes that mbappe blazed past Inter’s defence and Martinez saved his low shot before somehow blocking Bellingham’s effort from point-blank range. The report also notes that the Italians started energetically in attack but were destabilised by two grievous errors at the back.
