Three Takeaways From Real Madrid’s Nervy, Wasteful, Victorious Champions League Opener

After the final whistle sounded on Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday evening, captain Federico Valverde said, “We suffered a lot, which shouldn’t happen, especially at home.”

It was a cruising start for Los Blancos in their league phase opener. By the 23rd minute, José Mourinho’s men were up 2–0 thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde, produced from bruising Inter mistakes.

Yet the scoreline hid the real narrative of the game, especially as the minutes ticked on. Real Madrid were wasteful in the final third, shaky at the back and inconsistent in midfield. The pitch fully tilted in the visitors’ favor once they pulled one back in the dying stages, but the hosts held on for dear life and escaped with three points.

The stars in white will only care about the victory they secured, but Mourinho will be replaying certain moments and questions over and over again as he works to get Real Madrid back to their best.

Real Madrid’s Attack Sputters ... Again

Kylian Mbappé and Co. failed to finish off chances on Tuesday. | Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

It’s becoming routine for Real Madrid’s star-studded frontline to look like they’ve never scored before. At the weekend, the team created seven big chances and failed to find the back of the net in a shocking loss to Real Betis.

On Tuesday against Inter, Los Blancos created eight big chances and only scored two goals ... both of which were gifts from the visitors. Mbappé missed two glorious chances, as did Jude Bellingham. Brahim Díaz joined in on the party when he could only hold his head in his hands after pulling a great chance of his own wide.

Much of the problems from last season stemmed from a lack of creativity from Los Blancos’ midfield, causing the team’s attacking output to falter. But now, Mourinho’s men are creating the chances—they just simply cannot finish them off.

It’s a glaring problem in the early weeks of the 2026–27 season for the 15-time European champions, one that already cost them three points in La Liga and could have cost them a win in the Champions League had Thibaut Courtois not stood on his head.

Thibaut Courtois Bails Out an Uninspiring Defense

Whenever Real Madrid need a big Champions League performance, Courtois answers the call. The Belgian might not be the frontrunner for the Yashin Trophy, solely because of his lack of silverware last season, but that does nothing to dim his standing as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Courtois made seven saves against Inter, frustrating the visitors until they finally found a breakthrough in the 77th minute. It was a goal that felt like it had been coming, considering Los Blancos’ defense looked unsteady all game long.

There are plenty of moments to pick out and rip apart for Mourinho’s backline. Denzel Dumfries was beaten by Carlos Augusto en route to the Brazilian’s goal; Marc Cucurella needed Vinícius Júnior to help him man the left flank; Ibrahima Konaté is rarely where he needs to be in the big moments.

Not helping matters was just how stagnant Real Madrid were without the ball. The Spanish giants were constantly standing still, executing such a minuscule press that Inter had acres of space to operate. It was far too easy to get caught out on defense because Real Madrid make it far too easy for Inter to maintain possession and create chances.

It didn’t hurt the team in the end on Tuesday, but it will against a stronger opponent in the future, if they don’t figure out a better balance.

What Does the Future Hold for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Trent Alexander-Arnold got the nod alongside Valverde in Mourinho’s double pivot on Tuesday, filling the gap in Real Madrid’s XI in the absence of the suspended Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva. It was only the second start of the season for the England international, who lost the battle with Dumfries for the starting right back position.

It wasn’t exactly a fireworks display from Alexander-Arnold. He lost his man defensively on numerous occasions. He never looked overly comfortable dropping back inside his own box, as if he was unsure of where he should position himself, which was evident on Inter’s lone goal. Plus, Real Madrid saw so little of the ball that he wasn’t exactly able to put his passing range on display.

Alexander-Arnold was tidy in possession, though, and created two chances—one Mbappé easily should have buried. But it likely wasn’t enough to raise his stock with Mourinho.

So, where does Alexander-Arnold go from here? He surely will not be satisfied playing second-fiddle to Dumfries all season. And the opportunities for midfield starts will be few and far between. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the fullback opts to leave the Bernabéu much sooner than anyone thought if he can’t turn this season around.

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