Valverde scored Real Madrid’s second goal and turned a tight Champions League match at the Bernabéu sharply in Real Madrid’s favor. The midfielder pounced after Josep Martínez tried to dribble out under pressure and lost the ball, a mistake that gave Real Madrid another goal built from Inter’s own build-up errors.
That is why Real Madrid Today is drawing attention now: the match was already being shaped by mistakes before halftime, and this one belonged to Martínez. Mbappé had scored earlier after an error by Bisseck in the build-up, making it two goals from two Inter slips and leaving Real Madrid with a lead earned less by long possession than by ruthless punishment.
The setup mattered, too. Inter came with three central defenders and Lautaro and Thuram up front, while Real Madrid had Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield after suspensions ruled out Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Güler. Real Madrid also had Tchouameni, Endrick and Pitarch back, and José Mourinho was back at the Bernabéu in the Champions League, a return with history attached after his 2010 title there with Inter.
Inter did not arrive only to be picked apart. It started with early pressure and had chances that could have changed the rhythm of the night, including a powerful Calhanoglu shot that hit the post in the first half. Courtois also had to stop Thuram and turn his shot behind for a corner, and Diouf sent in a cross that Thuram tried to finish. Those moments showed that Inter had a foothold, even if every real opening was threatened by a mistake waiting behind it.
Before kickoff, Real Madrid supporters added their own charge to the evening by displaying Ceuta flags and singing, “Ceuta no se vende, Ceuta se defiende.” But once the match began, the story was simpler and harsher for Inter: one bad touch, one stolen ball, one finish from Valverde. The unanswered question now is whether Real Madrid can keep control once the game stops being about Inter’s errors and starts being about their own management of the lead.
