Thibaut Courtois holds Real Madrid up against a 'weak' Stuttgart (3-1)

The Santiago Bernabéu experienced a night of strange sensations in the Champions League. Supported by a 'galactic' Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid began the defence of their title with a victory against a combative Stuttgart (3-1), 'victim' of the great performance of the local goalkeeper and the forceful offensive of the Madrid players, who took an 'undeserved' victory thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick.

The final result of the match is understood by the lack of aim of the Germans. Those led by Sebastian Hoeneß dominated the whites in a first half in which the Belgian goalkeeper dressed as a 'hero' to prevent his goal from falling. The Germans, whose clearest chances came from Millot, Stiller and Undav, who even hit the crossbar, could have taken the lead on numerous occasions, but the presence of the 'Giraffe' kept the score at zero.

Meanwhile, the Whites were close to receiving a new 'gift' from the main referee, who awarded a penalty for a non-existent foul on Antonio Rüdiger. However, the VAR intervened and overturned the referee's decision, doing justice in a duel where Kylian Mbappé was the only response from the Madrid attack, which continues to miss an increasingly missing Vinicius Jr.

The dead ball 'punished' Stuttgart

On returning from the locker room, an error in the German defence allowed Rodrygo to enter the area and he gave the ball to Mbappé, who finished easily under the goal to open the scoring. The result seemed to punish Stuttgart too much, as they felt the blow of the first goal, but they grew again in the match and managed to equalise thanks to Undav, whose persistence paid off with a cross-header that went into Courtois' goal.

The Germans were superior on the pitch and could have taken the lead, but the lack of forcefulness of their forwards ended up taking their toll against a Madrid that was completely disconnected in attack. In the final 10 minutes of the match, Antonio Rüdiger finished off a corner kick sent in by Modric and scored the winning goal for the Whites, who sealed the match with a 'footed shot' from Endrick when the referee blew his whistle. A victory with a 'bitter' taste for the Vikings, whose triumphs are an 'oasis' in the middle of a footballing 'desert'.

Match details: Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart

• Real Madrid: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez (Militao, m.46), Carvajal, Rüdiger, Mendy (F. García, m.76); Tchouaméni (Modric, m.70), Valverde, Bellingham (Endrick, m.80); Rodrygo (Güler, m.75), Vinicius and Mbappé.
• Stuttgart: Nübel; Vagnoman (Chase, m.63), Rouault (Zagadou, m.89), Chabot, Mittelstädt; Stiller, Karazor; Leweling, Millot (Demirovic, m.75), Führich (Rieder, m.63), Undav (Touré, m.76).
• Referee: Halil Umut Meler
• Incidences: Match corresponding to Matchday 1 of the 2024-25 Champions League
• Goals: 1-0, Kylian Mbappé (min.46); 1-1, Deniz Undav (min.68); 2-1, Antonio Rüdiger (min.83); 3-1, Endrick (min.90+6).