Mbappe Matches Raul as Real Madrid Edge Inter in Champions League Opener
Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter at the Bernabeu, surviving a fierce second-half response after Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde had put the hosts in control.
Key takeaways
- Mbappe’s early finish was his 71st Champions League goal, drawing him level with Raul.
- Valverde scored after Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez made a costly mistake.
- Carlos Augusto pulled one back for Inter and set up a tense closing spell.
- Thibaut Courtois made key stops on his 100th appearance in the competition.
- Valverde admitted Madrid failed to follow Jose Mourinho’s half-time instructions.
Madrid hold on after Inter fightback
Mbappe gave Madrid the perfect start with a composed early strike, before captain Valverde punished Martinez’s error to make it 2-0.
Inter changed the rhythm after the break, though, forcing Madrid deeper and repeatedly testing Courtois. Augusto eventually reduced the deficit, while Curtis Jones struck the woodwork as the Italian champions pushed for an equaliser.
Courtois was central to Madrid seeing out the result, producing several important interventions during Inter’s late pressure. The Belgian reached a personal Champions League landmark with his 100th outing in the tournament.
Valverde made clear that the winning result did not excuse Madrid’s performance after the interval. He said Mourinho had instructed the side to retain possession higher up the pitch and play with greater composure, but the players did not carry out that plan.
“Mourinho was very clear: keep the ball more, particularly in their half, and stay calmer,” Valverde said. “We didn’t do it.”
The 28-year-old called for a more demanding response from the squad despite taking three points. “We need to be honest with ourselves,” he added. “Starting with a victory matters, but the players have to recognise that our second half was poor and we didn’t play well.”
Mbappe reaches Raul mark as league games await
Mbappe’s opener took him alongside Madrid great Raul on 71 goals in Europe’s top club competition. The France captain has reached that total in 99 matches, compared with Raul’s 142 appearances.
The 27-year-old is now joint-fifth on the all-time Champions League scoring list. Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema stand above him.
Mourinho’s side return to La Liga against Rayo Vallecano, with their second-half display against Inter likely to be a major focus before that fixture. Inter, beaten despite their strong recovery, go back to Serie A for a difficult meeting with Udinese and must tighten up after the defensive errors that shaped the night in Madrid.
