Real Madrid got off to a strong start in the group stage of the Champions League. The Spanish team defeated Inter Milan 2-1 at the Bernabéu, in a match where the Italian team’s mistakes proved decisive.
The 15-time European champions needed less than 25 minutes to build a two-goal lead, first thanks to Kylian Mbappé and then due to a serious mistake by Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martínez.
Mbappé capitalizes on a defensive blunder
The first goal came in the 14th minute, following a series of defensive mistakes by Inter. It all started with an inaccurate back pass that left Yann Bisseck under pressure. The defender lost the ball, and Brahim Díaz took advantage to quickly pick it up and set up Mbappé. The Frenchman entered the box and made no mistake. With composure, he sent the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
In addition, the Real Madrid forward scored his first European goal of the season and extended his scoring streak in the Champions League to 11 consecutive seasons.
Valverde punished another Inter mistake
Madrid’s second strike came just nine minutes later. In the 23rd minute, Josep Martínez tried to play the ball out of the box and attempted to get past Federico Valverde. The play ended in the worst possible way for the Spanish goalkeeper. Valverde got to the ball first and Martínez tried to regain possession by pulling it back, but the Madrid midfielder won the battle and ended up tapping the ball into an empty net.
The 2-0 score frustrated the Inter goalkeeper, who even kicked the ball toward midfield while the Madrid players celebrated. Despite the mistake, Martínez had a chance to redeem himself. The goalkeeper made several important saves and, just before halftime, prevented a third goal with a point-blank stop against Jude Bellingham.
Inter fought back, but it was not enough
The Italian team didn’t give up and managed to close the gap in the second half. Their reward came in the 77th minute, when Carlos Augusto stepped up to make it 2-1. Inter pushed for the equalizer in the final minutes, but Real Madrid held firm and ultimately secured their first three points of the league stage.
Courtois noted that Madrid was able to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes, though he acknowledged that the team could have sealed the victory much earlier.
For his part, Inter coach Cristian Chivu praised Martínez’s reaction after his mistake and urged his players to maintain the mindset and character needed to overcome challenges. The 28-year-old Spanish goalkeeper played one match for the Spanish national team in 2021.
