Real Madrid open their Champions League campaign against Inter

Real Madrid will have little time to dwell on their defeat to Real Betis. José Mourinho’s side begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday with a home match against Inter. Kick-off at the Santiago Bernabéu is scheduled for 9:00 pm CEST.

It offers Madrid an immediate opportunity to respond to their first setback of the season. The team opened the league campaign with three consecutive victories before losing 1-0 at the Estadio La Cartuja on Friday. A different competition now brings a different challenge, with the first points of the league phase at stake.

INTER PROVIDE THE FIRST EUROPEAN TEST

Real Madrid and Inter have previously met 13 times in Europe’s leading club competition. Their most recent encounters came during the 2021/22 season, when Madrid won 1-0 in Milan before recording a 2-0 victory at the Bernabéu.

The format has changed since then. The traditional group stage has been replaced by a league phase in which every team plays eight matches against eight different opponents. The results determine their position in one overall table.

Inter represent a demanding opening assignment. Madrid will not be given a gentle route into the competition, but major European nights against established opponents have always suited the Bernabéu. There will be no waiting for the campaign to become serious. It starts that way.

A SPECIAL REUNION FOR MOURINHO

The fixture also carries personal significance for Mourinho. The Portuguese coach led Inter to Champions League glory in 2010, completing a historic treble alongside the Serie A title and Coppa Italia.

He will now face his former club as Real Madrid coach. The reunion provides an obvious storyline, although sentiment will have no place in the tactical plan. Madrid need a strong performance after the unexpected defeat in Seville.

The Betis match showed that territorial control and chances created do not guarantee a result. Madrid failed to convert their opportunities before Troy Parrott scored the game’s only goal late in the second half. Greater efficiency will be required against an Inter side unlikely to offer many second chances.

EIGHT MATCHES IN THE LEAGUE PHASE

After hosting Inter, Real Madrid will play seven further matches in the league phase. RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven and LASK will also visit the Bernabéu. Mourinho’s team will travel to face Roma, AEK Athens, Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk.

The schedule runs until the end of January and contains several demanding fixtures. Trips to Rome and London stand out, while the home meetings with Inter and Leipzig should provide significant early tests.

The immediate focus is Tuesday. Real Madrid have suffered their first defeat, but they have also been handed a quick opportunity to respond. The Champions League is returning to the Bernabéu, where expectations do not need to be explained.