Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan—Champions League: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
Real Madrid’s 2026–27 Champions League campaign gets underway on Tuesday night against reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan.
José Mourinho famously led Inter to Champions League glory at Madrid’s home, the Santiago Bernabéu, in 2010. Mourinho joined Los Blancos in the teary aftermath and is back for a second stint in charge of the Spanish behemoths.
However, since defeating Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final, Madrid have been usurped by Barcelona domestically and subject to two consecutive quarterfinal exits in this competition.
Inter are two-time finalists in the 2020s, but haven’t got across the line since Diego Milito’s brace sunk Bayern Munich to seal victory for Mourinho in the final 16 years ago.
Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed
Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan Score Prediction
15-Time Winners Bounce Back From Chaotic Defeat
Mourinho suffered his first defeat upon his return to the Spanish capital on Friday night, although Madrid were mightily unfortunate not to escape Real Betis with at least a point. Overall, it wasn’t a performance or result that should ring too many alarm bells, even if familiar flaws remain prevalent.
It had been a happy, smiley start to the season for Los Blancos, but it won’t take much for the mood to sour. Mourinho can’t allow Friday’s blip to endure, and a victory here will quickly rid Madridistas of that disappointment.
Inter, though, are seasoned Champions League performers despite last season’s humiliating exit, and look primed to go back-to-back in Serie A. Cristian Chivu was one of Mourinho’s warriors on the Portuguese’s treble-winning Inter roster, and he will be keen to one-up his former manager here.
- Head-to-head record: The history between these two grand institutions dates back to 1964, when Inter defeated Madrid 3–1 in the European Cup final. They met frequently in the 60s and 80s, but less so in the 21st century. Since 2000, Madrid have won all four meetings.
- Kylian Mbappé chasing records: Mbappé struck a defiant tone in his prematch press conference, and the Frenchman, after a profligate showing in Seville, will have the bit between his teeth on Tuesday. Mbappé is aiming to move up the record goalscorers table in this competition, and two strikes against Inter will see him usurp Madrid icon Raúl and move into fifth all-time. He’s scored 22 Champions League goals in 25 games for Los Blancos.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2–1 Inter Milan
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Milan
Mourinho heads into Real Madrid’s Champions League opener with a long list of unavailable players, including Ferland Mendy, who wasn’t included on their roster for this competition at all. Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Güler are all suspended.
Aurélien Tchouaméni continues to nurse a muscle injury, while Éder Militão should soon be back in action after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in April. In the Brazilian’s absence, Ibrahima Konaté is set to partner Dean Huijsen.
Denzel Dumfries is likely to be preferred to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back, and Yan Diomande is patiently awaiting his first start for the club. Mourinho has so far utilized Güler as an extra playmaker off the right flank and used Diomande, the most expensive African player in history, off the bench.
Endrick, Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio are all sidelined for the visitors, but young midfielder Thiago Pitarch could return to Mourinho’s matchday squad.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Inter (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bellingham,; Diomande, Díaz, Vinícius Jr; Mbappé.
Inter Milan Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid
Federico Dimarco is not available after the Italian suffered an injury in Inter’s dramatic victory over Napoli on Saturday. He is not expected to be out for long, but Chivu’s unlikely to take a risk with Carlos Augusto a capable understudy.
Curtis Jones and John Stones are poised for roles on the bench, while Inter’s third lion, Djed Spence, is working his way back from a calf issue. Andy Diouf has been the starting right wingback at the start of the new season.
Marcus Thuram was excellent off the bench against Napoli, and the Frenchman could replace the precocious Pio Esposito, who recently signed a contract extension with the club, and partner Lautaro Martínez.
Inter predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (3-5-2): J. Martínez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Zieliński, Augusto; L. Martínez, Thuram.
What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan Kick Off?
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
- Date: Tuesday, Sept. 8
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
- Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
- VAR: Andrew Dallas (SCO)
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United States | Paramount+, DAZN USA |
United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 5, HBO Max |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
Mexico | TNT Sports, Max Mexico |
feed. READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC