Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign the hard way. What looked like a routine home night at the Santiago Bernabeu on September 8 turned into a rollercoaster, and by full time, Jose Mourinho was the one admitting he could not fully enjoy his own team’s win. Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1, but this scoreline barely tells the story of a match Mourinho himself said could have finished 7-6.
Mbappe Strikes Early, History Follows
Kylian Mbappe needed just fourteen minutes to put Madrid ahead, pouncing after Inter’s Yann Bisseck was dispossessed outside his own box and Brahim Diaz slipped him through on goal. The finish carried extra weight.
It moved Mbappe level with Real Madrid legend Raul on 71 career Champions League goals, making him the competition’s fifth-highest scorer of all time, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Karim Benzema. Madrid have now scored in eleven straight Champions League matches, their longest run in the competition since 2023.
Valverde Doubles The Lead, Then Chaos Arrives
Federico Valverde made it two shortly after, capitalizing when Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez hesitated on the ball and got dispossessed inside his own box. On paper, Madrid looked in total control.
In reality, Inter refused to fold. Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez both tested Thibaut Courtois before the break, and Curtis Jones rattled the crossbar. The Nerazzurri finished the night with 21 shots, a number only three visiting teams in Champions League history have ever recorded at the Bernabeu.
Carlos Augusto eventually got his reward, sliding ahead of Denzel Dumfries to convert a Lautaro Martinez cutback and set up a nervy final stretch. Madrid held on, helped in part by a superior expected-goals mark of 2.91 to Inter’s 1.78, a gap built almost entirely on gifts in the first half rather than sustained control.
Mourinho’s Homecoming Comes With Mixed Feelings
The occasion carried personal significance for Mourinho, facing the Champions League for the first time with Madrid since 2013 and returning to a stage where he once led Inter to glory back in 2010. Opposite him in the dugout stood Cristian Chivu, who was part of that very Inter squad. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia afterward, Mourinho did not hide his unease despite the three points. He called the match spectacular for anyone watching at home, just not for himself or Chivu, and admitted the scoreline could have gone almost anywhere.
There was also drama in the stands. Both Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were jeered by sections of their own crowd during the match. Mourinho refused to be drawn into criticizing the fans directly, but he defended Vinicius, saying the forward is not yet playing at his peak level, and revealed he embraced Mbappe with a kiss when substituting him as a sign of respect for his effort.
What It Means Going Forward
This result arrived just days after Madrid suffered their first defeat of the Mourinho era, a shock 1-0 loss away to Real Betis. Bouncing back against a genuine European heavyweight answers some early questions about morale, even if the performance raised just as many about defensive control under pressure. Mourinho singled out Courtois as his standout performer on the night, while praising Trent Alexander-Arnold for adapting to an unfamiliar midfield role.
Real Madrid start their Champions League league phase with a win and a warning sign in the same ninety minutes. If the version of Inter that produced 21 shots at the Bernabeu is a preview of what awaits Los Blancos in Europe this season, Mourinho has real work ahead before this team can be trusted as a genuine trophy contender.
Man of the Match: Federico Valverde
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