Real Madrid vs Inter: Champions League – preview, team news, prediction

José Mourinho will make a nostalgic return to Champions League competition as his Real Madrid outfit hosts Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Portuguese manager's second spell with Madrid comes as he faces the Italian club where he crafted one of his greatest achievements—leading Inter to an unprecedented treble in 2010, which included a Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich at the very stadium where Tuesday's match will be contested.

Mourinho has downplayed any notion that his current Madrid assignment represents unfinished business, emphasizing that his two separate periods at the club exist as distinct chapters. He pointed to Madrid's remarkable European revival since his departure, noting the team has claimed six Champions League titles in just over a decade. However, his first stint saw the club fall short in Europe's premier competition, a gap he will hope to address during this new era.

Both teams arrive with contrasting recent narratives. Madrid suffered their first setback under Mourinho when Real Betis stunned them with a 1-0 victory on Friday, with Kylian Mbappé's missed late penalty proving costly. Star striker Mbappé acknowledged his side must improve in front of goal while maintaining that the overall dressing room atmosphere remains stable despite the change in management. Inter, meanwhile, showed remarkable resilience by recovering from two goals down to edge Napoli 3-2, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the decisive 91st-minute penalty in a dramatic Serie A encounter.

The head-to-head record favors Madrid historically, with 10 victories compared to Inter's seven across 19 meetings, though notably Inter has not defeated Madrid since 1998. Statistical projections give Madrid a 56 percent winning probability in this European fixture. Real Madrid will be without Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, and Bernardo Silva due to suspensions carried over from previous competitions, and also face a lengthening injury list that includes Eder Militao.

As Mourinho seeks to assert Madrid's dominance in Europe once again, the narrative extends beyond personal redemption to the broader question of which side can establish early authority in what promises to be a closely contested group phase encounter.