Real Madrid survived a frantic and error-strewn Champions League opener to defeat Inter Milan 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing a string of remarkable saves to preserve the win for José Mourinho on his first European night since returning to the club.
Despite Inter dominating possession for large stretches, it was Madrid who struck first through a defensive mix-up. Curtis Jones' loose pass put centre-back Yann Bisseck under pressure, and the German lost his footing attempting to recover, gifting the ball to Brahim Díaz. The Spaniard's quick pass sent Kylian Mbappé through, and the France forward slotted home in the 14th minute for his first goal of this season's competition. Mbappé had earlier been presented with the Champions League Golden Boot before kickoff, recognising his 15 goals from last season, and the strike moved him level with Real Madrid great Raúl on 71 career goals in the competition.
Madrid doubled their advantage soon after in equally fortunate fashion. Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez attempted to play out from the back near his own six-yard box, but a back-heel under pressure from Federico Valverde went horribly wrong. The Uruguayan captain poked the loose ball over the line to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute, against the run of play.
Inter had already threatened before falling behind, with Marcus Thuram forcing an early save from Courtois, and the visitors continued to press for the remainder of the half. Jones struck the crossbar after combining well with Martínez and Carlos Augusto, while a mistake from Benjamin Pavard nearly gifted Madrid a third before the interval, only for Josep Martínez to deny Jude Bellingham following a driving run from Mbappé and a clever setup from Díaz, who then struck the post.
Statistically, Inter dominated the opening 45 minutes, finishing the half with 70% possession and a 12-3 advantage in shots, along with 125 completed passes in the final third compared to Madrid's 13. Still, the scoreline read 2-0 in the home side's favour at the break.
The second half continued in similar fashion, with end-to-end action and further outstanding goalkeeping at both ends. Courtois denied Jones early in the half before pulling off a stunning double save on 55 minutes that drew applause from the Bernabéu crowd. Martínez responded for Inter with a smart stop to deny Bellingham after another slick Madrid move involving Díaz.
Chances continued to fall for both sides as Courtois saved from Alessandro Bastoni, while at the other end Josep Martínez used his legs to block a close-range effort from Mbappé. Valverde also had a shot blocked bravely by Bisseck.
Inter eventually found a way through in the 77th minute when Lautaro Martínez cut the ball back from the byline for Carlos Augusto to finish from close range, reducing the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense finish. But Madrid held firm, with Courtois producing one final crucial save deep into stoppage time to deny a deflected effort from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and secure the win.
The victory marked Mourinho's first Champions League win since returning for a second spell at the Bernabéu, over 13 years after his previous stint in charge of the club.
Elsewhere in Tuesday's Champions League action, Real Betis came from behind twice to beat 10-man Lille 3-2 away from home. Marc Bartra scored twice for the Spanish side before Troy Parrott netted the winner on his Champions League debut in the 54th minute, just days after scoring a late winner against Real Madrid in La Liga. Lille finished the match with 10 men after Ethan Mbappé, brother of Kylian, was sent off for an elbow to an opponent's face.
Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat Villarreal 3-2 at home, despite an early scare when 18-year-old debutant Konstantinos Karetsas was taken to hospital with circulatory problems in the first half. Serhou Guirassy scored twice late on to seal the win for the Bundesliga side. AEK Athens also began their campaign with a win, beating LASK 1-0 thanks to a Razvan Marin free-kick.
Based on reporting from The Guardian, The Independent, and The Standard.