Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Inter Milan: Los Blancos Survive Mistake-Laden Affair
Real Madrid outlasted Inter Milan 2–1 on Tuesday night to get their 2026–27 Champions League campaign off to a winning start at the Bernabéu.
The 15-time European champions were on the back foot from the opening whistle, but all of that changed when Curtis Jones was caught in possession. The Inter midfielder soon had his pocket picked and could only watch as Kylian Mbappé gave Los Blancos the lead just 14 minutes into the match.
Then it was Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez’s turn to hand the hosts a goal. Federico Valverde put the pressure on the 28-year-old, who inexplicably did not get rid of the ball. Instead, the Real Madrid captain made a challenge that went right into the back of the net.
José Mourinho’s men went on to miss a flurry of chances, ones they rued when Carlos Augusto pulled one back for the visitors in the 77th minute. But Los Blancos survived until the final whistle and walked away with three—rather unconvincing—points in their Champions League opener.
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The One Thing We Can’t Ignore
Real Madrid were held silent at the weekend, blanked by a Real Betis side that had conceded five goals just four days prior. The 15-time European champions missed an array of glorious goalscoring opportunities; they created seven big chances on the night and did not score a single goal.
It was a different Real Madrid early on Tuesday at the Bernabéu. Mbappé and Co. were in position to take advantage of two mistakes from Inter and this time, they did not falter.
Mbappé and Valverde’s goals gave Los Blancos a two-goal cushion that immediately took the pressure off the highly-scrutinized attack. It also helped Mourinho’s makeshift double pivot breathe a sigh of relief; they would not need to whip out any heroics to try to create chances against a normally-stingy defense.
But the glaring problems from the weekend still took shape as the game went on. Jude Bellingham missed two chances that had the Bernabéu gasping in horror. Mbappé failed to finish off a sensational counterattack and then soon capped off a great team sequence with a shot right at the diving goalkeeper.
By the time the final whistle sounded, Real Madrid had scored two goals—and both were gift wrapped by Inter Milan.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Inter Milan (4-3-2-1)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.4: Delivered another vintage Champions League performance. Called into action early and set the tone with a great save at his near post. Ended the night with seven saves, and not one of them was ordinary.
RB: Denzel Dumfries—6.7: Completely beaten by Augusto inside his own box. Looked like a liability under pressure.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—6.9: Had questionable positioning all night. Allowed Lautaro Martínez to get in behind on several occasions and needed his goalkeeper to bail him out.
CB: Dean Huijsen—7.1: Looked the best among his fellow defenders, though that’s not saying much. Made key interventions when push came to shove. A performance that could be his coming of age in a white shirt.
LB: Marc Cucurella—7.2: Left far too much space on the left flank at times and paid the price in the build-up to Augusto’s goal. Came up big in stoppage time to see out the victory.
DM: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.0: Put Jones under pressure that led to Real Madrid’s opening goal. Created a sensational chance in transition for Mbappé that the Frenchman couldn’t finish. Never looked comfortable without the ball or in defense.
DM: Federico Valverde—8.1: Needed a redemptive performance and delivered. Opened his 2026–27 account with the easiest goal he might score all season. Dropped back into central defense at times to help his discombobulated backline.
RW: Brahim Díaz—8.2: Repaid his manager’s faith with an assist. Should have bagged another when he set Bellingham up on a silver platter. His strong work rate was on full display.
AM: Jude Bellingham—7.6: Played like a true leader. Directed traffic, relentlessly pressed for his unwilling forwards and tracked back when necessary. Will be kicking himself he didn’t score at least one goal.
LW: Vinícius Júnior—7.3: Came alive in transition, but it was his defensive efforts inside his own half that earned applause from the home crowd and his manager.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.4: Started the night by presenting his Golden Boot and had another goal to his name 14 minutes later. Missed too many chances as the game went on to call it a solid performance.
SUB: Yan Diomande (79’ for Díaz)—5.9: Showed encouraging signs pushing forward. Gave the team some much-needed width.
SUB: Aurélien Tchouaméni (79’ for Alexander-Arnold)—6.0: Came on to shore-up the defense.
SUB: Álvaro Carreras (87’ for Vinícius Jr)—N/A
SUB: Carlos Espí (93’ for Mbappé)—N/A
Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Antonio Rüdiger, Mario Rivas, Jorge Cestero, Thiago Pitarch, Endrick.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Due to injuries and suspensions, Trent Alexander-Arnold got the nod in midfield. It was a mixed bag from the natural right back. He showed off his passing range and covered extensive ground, exerting the pressure on Curtis Jones to open the door for Real Madrid’s opener. The England international looked lost defensively, though, not exactly knowing who he should be marking or where he should position himself inside his own box.
- On the day Thibaut Courtois secured another Yashin Trophy nomination, he also made his 100th appearance in the Champions League. The Belgian shot-stopper was at his best under the lights at the Bernabéu, making three brilliant saves in the first half and four in the second. There is no one more consistent or trustworthy for Los Blancos than their goalkeeper.
- Many expected record-breaking signing Yan Diomande to finally make his first start of the season, but it was once again Brahim Díaz who got the nod on the right wing. The Morocco international bagged the assist on the team’s opening goal, vindicating Mourinho’s decision—and keeping Diomande rooted to the bench.
The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Nervy Win
- Real Madrid created eight big chances and only scored two goals. It was the same story at the weekend. Had the visitors not committed two mistakes, the final scoreline looks a lot different.
- Inter tallied an xG of 1.78 and mustered 21 shots, doing enough to walk away with a point on probably any other night. But it was Courtois’s heroics that saved Real Madrid at every turn.
- Mourinho’s men only had 36% possession, yet they were reluctant to press and couldn’t finish chances on the counterattack. It won’t be a recipe for success moving forward.
Statistic | Real Madrid | Inter Milan |
|---|---|---|
Posession | 36% | 64% |
Expected Goals (xG) | 2.91 | 1.78 |
Total Shots | 16 | 21 |
Shots on Target | 8 | 7 |
Big Chances | 8 | 4 |
Pass Accuracy | 87% | 94% |
Fouls | 12 | 10 |
Corners | 4 | 11 |
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