Mourinho's Madrid Squeeze Past Inter

UEFA Champions League — Match Report

Real Madrid 2 — 1 Inter Milan

This is the first match of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League for both clubs. Real Madrid are managed by José Mourinho, who returned to the club this summer. Inter Milan are managed by Cristian Chivu. The match was played at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid in front of more than 80,000 fans.

Match Report

First Half: Two Gifts — Two Goals

Inter Milan began the match very well. The Italian champions started with energy and confidence, pressing Real Madrid high up the pitch. In the opening minutes, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had to make two good saves — one from French striker Marcus Thuram and one from Argentine forward Lautaro Martínez. Inter looked the more dangerous team.

But then Real Madrid scored against the run of play. In the 14th minute, Inter defender Yann Aurel Bisseck lost the ball in a dangerous position. Brahim Díaz collected it quickly and played a sharp pass to Kylian Mbappé, who had a clear run at goal. Mbappé was calm and composed. He swept the ball into the net with his right foot. It was his 71st goal in the Champions League — a milestone that moved him into fifth place in the competition's all-time scoring list, level with the great Real Madrid forward Raúl.

Just nine minutes later, Real Madrid scored again — and again, Inter were the authors of their own problems. Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez received a back-pass from defender Benjamin Pavard and hesitated on the ball inside his own six-yard box. Federico Valverde, Madrid's captain and midfielder from Uruguay, sprinted forward to close him down. Martínez was too slow, and Valverde took the ball and tapped it into the empty net. The goalkeeper looked horrified. It was exactly the kind of goal a goalkeeper never wants to give away.

Inter almost replied before half-time. English midfielder Curtis Jones, making his first Champions League start for the club, struck a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. The ball did not go in. Then Martínez — clearly wanting to make amends for his earlier mistake — produced a brilliant double save to deny Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. Half-time: Real Madrid 2, Inter Milan 0.

Second Half: Courtois Saves the Day

Inter Milan came out for the second half with much more intensity. They pressed higher, moved the ball faster, and created chance after chance. Courtois was outstanding. He saved from Thuram, from Calhanoglu's free kick, and from several other attempts. The Belgian goalkeeper was the reason Real Madrid's lead survived.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, had good opportunities to make the game safe. Bellingham missed a clear chance. Brahim Díaz played excellent football and created openings. But the second goal for Madrid did not come, and Inter kept pushing.

In the 77th minute, Inter finally scored. Lautaro Martínez drove towards the byline on the left side and pulled back a low cross. Brazilian left-back Carlos Augusto arrived at the far post and struck the ball powerfully into the net. It was 2-1. The Bernabéu became nervous. Could Inter equalise?

The final minutes were extremely tense. Inter threw more players forward. Late substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan hit a deflected shot that Courtois pushed wide. Real Madrid held on. The referee blew the final whistle. Real Madrid 2, Inter Milan 1. Three points. A winning start to the Champions League.

Stories from the Match

Mourinho vs His Former Club

The most interesting story surrounding this match was the presence of José Mourinho as Real Madrid's manager. Mourinho is one of the most famous football managers in the world, and his connection to both clubs made this match very special.

In 2010, Mourinho managed Inter Milan. He led them to one of the greatest achievements in Italian football history — winning the league title, the Italian cup, and the Champions League all in the same season. The Champions League final that year was played at the Santiago Bernabéu — the very same stadium where Tuesday's match took place. Inter beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in that final.

The day after that final, Mourinho left Inter and joined Real Madrid for the first time. He managed Real from 2010 to 2013. Now, in 2026, he has returned to the Bernabéu for a second spell in charge. His first European match back was against Inter — his old club. "It was an emotional night," Mourinho said afterwards. "I have great memories of Inter. But tonight, I was 100% focused on Real Madrid."

Interestingly, Inter's current manager is Cristian Chivu — a Romanian defender who played under Mourinho in that famous 2010 Inter team. On Tuesday, the student faced the teacher — and the teacher won.

Mbappé's Historic Milestone

Kylian Mbappé had a difficult start to the season. In Real Madrid's La Liga match last Friday, he missed a penalty in the final minutes as Real lost 1-0 to Real Betis. He came into the Inter match under pressure and needing to prove himself.

His goal in the 14th minute was exactly the kind of finish that made him famous: fast, intelligent movement, and a composed, accurate shot. It was his 71st goal in the Champions League, putting him fifth on the all-time list alongside Raúl — one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history.

Mbappé is only 27 years old. The all-time record is held by his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 140 Champions League goals. Lionel Messi is second with 129. Mbappé has many years ahead of him. If he stays fit and continues to score, he could one day challenge those records.

He was replaced late in the game, but he had done what he needed to do. "The team needed a win. I'm happy I could help," he said simply after the match.

Story 3: Courtois — 100 Champions League Appearances

Tuesday's match was a special night for Thibaut Courtois as well. The Belgian goalkeeper made his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League — becoming only the 12th goalkeeper in history to reach that milestone.

Courtois is 34 years old and has had a difficult few seasons with injuries. He missed almost all of the 2023-24 season after a serious knee injury. But he has fought his way back to the top level and is now one of the best goalkeepers in the world again.

Without Courtois on Tuesday, Real Madrid would not have won. He made seven saves in total. His best moment came early in the second half when he pushed away a close-range effort from Thuram. He also denied Mkhitaryan's deflected shot in the final minutes to secure the three points.

Courtois said after the match: "I made mistakes last week — not personally, but the team. Tonight we responded well. I'm very happy with my 100th game here. This competition means everything to me. Real Madrid is the home of the Champions League."

Glossary

These words are from the article. Learn them before or after you read.

Champions League

• The most important club football competition in Europe, played every season.

league phase

• The first stage of the Champions League, where teams play eight matches against different opponents. The top teams advance to the knockout rounds.

press / pressing

• When a team moves quickly towards the opponent with the ball to win it back.

against the run of play

• A goal or event that happens when the other team has been playing better.

close down

• To move quickly towards a player to put them under pressure and stop them playing comfortably.

milestone

• An important moment or achievement, for example a player's 100th match in a competition.

all-time

• The best, most, or highest ever in the history of something.

nervy / nervy finish

• Feeling worried and tense. A nervy finish is when a team is uncertain about winning until the very end.

clinical

• Very accurate and effective in front of goal — scoring when given a chance.

former club

• A team that a player or manager used to work for before moving to a new team.

hold on

• To defend and protect a lead until the end of a match, often under pressure from the other team.

xG (expected goals)

• A number that shows how likely a team was to score, based on the quality of the chances they created.

Vocabulary Exercise

Choose the correct word or phrase from the box to complete each sentence. Each word or phrase is used once.

Word Box: milestone | against the run of play | close down | former club | hold on | clinical | league phase | nervy | pressing | all-time

1. The Champions League __________________ is the first stage of the competition, where each team plays eight matches against different opponents.

2. Inter started the match much better than Real Madrid, but Real scored __________________ when Bisseck lost the ball in a dangerous area.

3. Valverde sprinted forward to __________________ the goalkeeper, who was too slow on the ball. The result was an accidental goal.

4. Making his 100th appearance in the Champions League was a significant __________________ for Thibaut Courtois.

5. Mbappé's 71st Champions League goal put him in fifth place on the __________________ scoring list for the competition.

6. Inter played with great energy in the second half, __________________ Real Madrid high up the pitch and creating many chances.

7. Real Madrid were not very accurate in front of goal — they were not __________________ enough and missed several good opportunities.

8. The final ten minutes were __________________ . Inter were pushing for an equaliser, and Real Madrid's fans were worried.

9. Mourinho had many happy memories of Inter — the club where he won the treble in 2010 — but on Tuesday they were his __________________ .

10. Courtois made seven saves to help Real Madrid __________________ and protect their lead until the final whistle.

Answer Key

1. league phase

2. against the run of play

3. close down

4. milestone

5. all-time

6. pressing

7. clinical

8. nervy

9. former club

10. hold on