MADRID, Spain – Record 15-time European champions Real Madrid kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a tense 2-1 victory over Italian giants Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, surviving a spirited second-half fightback from the Nerazzurri to claim maximum points in the opening league phase fixture.
The high-octane encounter produced relentless end-to-end drama, delivering over 34 attempts on goal as exceptional goalkeeping displays at both ends kept the scoreline on a knife-edge until the final whistle.
Okay News reports that Madrid seized control early on through attacking incisiveness, with Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham spearheading dangerous offensive transitions that broke down the Italian side’s defensive shape.
Holding a commanding two-goal cushion heading into the second half, Los Blancos were pushed onto the back foot as Inter introduced tactical reinforcements, bringing on John Stones to shore up the backline alongside attacking substitutions that intensified pressure on the hosts.
Inter halved the deficit in the 76th minute when Argentine captain Lautaro Martínez exploited space along the right byline, flashing a dangerous low cross into the six-yard box for Carlos Augusto to dart past Denzel Dumfries and rifle a close-range finish past a stranded Thibaut Courtois.
The Italian resurgence rattled the home crowd, forcing Madrid manager Jose Mourinho to make defensive adjustments, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Brahim Díaz with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ousmane Diomande to restore midfield physical parity.
Tensions boiled over entering the closing 10 minutes when central defender Dean Huijsen and Martínez engaged in an altercation off the ball, resulting in yellow cards for both players as refereeing officials worked to maintain discipline amid heated challenges.
Courtois emerged as the decisive hero for the Spanish giants in the dying moments, producing a reflex stop to parry a deflected strike from 37-year-old substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan before denying Curtis Jones on the rebound.
Madrid had opportunities to put the contest out of reach on rapid counter-attacks, but Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez performed heroics of his own, blocking Mbappé in a one-on-one duel with his outstretched legs and denying Bellingham from point-blank range.
Whistles rippled across sections of the Bernabéu late on when Vinícius Júnior was replaced by Álvaro Carreras in the 88th minute, with the Brazilian forward taking his time exiting the pitch, forcing Madrid to temporarily defend with 10 men before the substitution was finalized.
Despite three frantic minutes of added time where Inter swarmed the Madrid penalty area, the Spanish champions maintained their defensive composure to seal an opening continental victory, setting the pace in the 36-team Champions League table ahead of their next European fixture.
