Earlier this week we reported on Kylian Mbappé's Ballon d'Or case. Against Inter, he backed up the noise with the kind of start Real Madrid needed. He scored in the 14th minute, and Real Madrid kept control for long enough to make that early lead count.
Mbappe gave Madrid the start they wanted
Mbappe's strike came before Inter had settled. The move was direct, the finish did the rest, and Madrid did not spend long waiting for the first lift in the stands at the Bernabéu.
The goal also fits the way he has started the 2026-27 season. He has 4 goals in 3 La Liga appearances, and his league rating sits at 8.53 across those games and 218 minutes. That is a serious output this early in the campaign, and it is hard to separate his scoring run from Madrid's confidence in the final third.
Valverde and the mistake Inter could not afford
Federico Valverde added the second big moment after a mistake from Josep Martinez. Madrid did not need to force the issue every minute, because Valverde kept the game moving in their direction and punished the opening when it came.
Inter did pull one back through Carlos Augusto in the 77th minute, but it was only a consolation. Madrid's wider league form also lines up with the idea that this was not a one-off reaction. They have won four of their last five league matches, and Valverde's own league return, 7.17 with 1 assist in 3 appearances, sits neatly alongside his influence here.
Jose Mourinho made a winning return to the Champions League with Madrid as they beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The headline names did the damage early, and the Champions League stage again looked like the right setting for Mbappe to take charge.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
