Real Madrid beat Inter Milan as Mbappe goal sets Mourinho’s men on way

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid edged Inter Milan 2-1 in a lively Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde capitalising on defensive errors in the first half. Real, the competition’s record 15-time winners, took the lead after an early mistake from Inter’s back line, and extended their advantage when goalkeeper Josep Martinez was caught in possession. The opening goal came after a misplaced pass put Inter under pressure; Brahim Diaz fed the ball through for Mbappe, who finished clinically. The second arrived when Valverde seized on Martinez’s hesitation, wresting the ball from the goalkeeper and slotting it home. Martinez later made a superb save to deny Jude Bellingham before the break, preventing a larger halftime margin. Inter fought back after the interval and were rewarded when Carlos Augusto smashed in from a Lautaro Martinez cross to set up a tense finale. Madrid produced chances of their own — including further efforts from Mbappe and Diaz — but Martinez kept his side in the contest with several important stops, while Thibaut Courtois also made crucial saves, including to block a deflected strike from Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the closing stages. The match carried added narrative weight given Mourinho’s history: he guided Inter to Champions League triumph at the Bernabeu in 2010 and has returned to Real Madrid as manager after the club endured two seasons without a major trophy. Despite the win, Madrid supporters voiced frustration late on when a substitution was delayed because Vinicius Jr took time to leave the pitch, briefly holding up Alvaro Carreras’s introduction.