Real Madrid Sinks Inter Milan at the Bernabeu with Two Goals in 25 Minutes

Two mistakes. That was all Real Madrid needed to take control of its European night. In just 25 minutes, the Santiago Bernabeu was already celebrating a two-goal lead over an Inter Milan side that put the noose around its own neck with a pair of gifts the home team refused to waste.

The final score, 2-1, left the Whites with a perfect start to the Champions League league phase this Tuesday in Madrid. The scoring opened in the 14th minute after a string of defensive miscues from Inter: an errant back pass forced Yann Bisseck to try to play out under pressure, and the German lost the ball. Brahim Diaz, always alert, pounced on the loose ball and immediately found Kylian Mbappe, who cut into the box to finish and score his first European goal of the season. With that strike, the Frenchman extended a remarkable run: he has now scored in 11 consecutive Champions League seasons.

The second blow landed just nine minutes later and had a name attached to it, though not for good reasons: Josep Martinez. The Spanish goalkeeper tried to dribble past Federico Valverde inside the box, something that rarely ends well, and the Uruguayan was quicker. Martinez tried to change direction by shielding the ball with his body, but Valverde got a touch on it and knocked it into the empty net. The furious goalkeeper pulled the ball out of the back of the net and booted it toward midfield as the Bernabeu erupted in celebration.

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, was not willing to downplay his team's effort despite the openings the opponent handed them:

Our goals came while they were going through a rough patch, but I want to give credit to my players, Valverde's goal is down to hard work.Jose Mourinho

Curiously, once he got past that rough start, Martinez turned into Inter's best player on the field. He strung together a series of difficult saves, including one outstanding stop, almost point-blank, to deny Jude Bellingham right before halftime.

Inter pulled one back in the 77th minute with a goal from Carlos Augusto, restoring some tension to a match that had looked all but settled. Still, Real Madrid, with Thibaut Courtois also alert between the posts, managed the lead through to the final whistle.

The lasting image from the finish came from the two goalkeepers: Courtois and Martinez spoke after the match, embraced and swapped jerseys, a show of sportsmanship that outlasted the frustration of a night that, for the Spanish keeper, began in about the worst way possible.