Kylian Mbappe climbed to joint-fifth on the all-time Champions League and European Cup scoring list as Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in a lively contest.
The France captain gave Jose Mourinho’s side the lead after 14 minutes, finishing clinically from just inside the penalty area. It was Mbappe’s 71st goal in 99 appearances in the competition, drawing him level with Real Madrid legend Raul, who reached the same total in 142 games.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema remain ahead of the 27-year-old in the competition’s historic scoring standings.
Real Madrid doubled their advantage nine minutes later following a costly error from Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. After receiving a back pass from Benjamin Pavard, Martinez lost possession under pressure from Federico Valverde, allowing the Real captain to take the ball and roll it into the empty net.
Inter had made a bright start before falling behind, forcing Thibaut Courtois into saves from Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez. The Belgian goalkeeper was making his 100th Champions League appearance.
Martinez recovered from his mistake late in the first half, producing a double stop to deny Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, while Inter were also helped by the woodwork.
The Italian champions created chances of their own, with former Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones striking the top of the crossbar. John Stones, who won the Champions League with Manchester City in 2023, was later introduced from the bench.
Bellingham passed up a major opportunity to extend Madrid’s lead in the second half, and Inter took advantage by reducing the deficit in the 77th minute. Carlos Augusto swept the ball home to give the visitors hope and set up a tense finish.
Inter pushed for an equaliser, but Real Madrid held on to secure the victory in a meeting between Mourinho’s current club and one of his former teams.
Despite the result, sections of the home support were clearly dissatisfied with Madrid’s overall display, voicing their frustration during a performance that produced three points without fully convincing the Bernabeu crowd.