Kylian Mbappe nets on Champions League debut for Real Madrid

Sep 17, 2024 - 22:01

Kylian Mbappe celebrated his UEFA Champions League debut for his new club with a goal and a win as Real Madrid scraped past Stuttgart 3-1 at the Bernabeu.

The Frenchman was on target in the first minute of the second half as he slotted home a Rodrygo cross, but his opener was cancelled out by Deniz Undav’s header on 68 minutes.

It seemed as though the Germans would leave the Spanish capital with a deserved point to kick off their league stage campaign, but they were cruelly dealt a knockout blow by one of their former youth prodigies, Antonio Rudiger, who rose highest to flick home a Luka Modric corner with seven minutes to play.

Endrick emerged off the bench in the dying embers to add a third and kill off any lingering Stuttgart hope, as his speculative effort from range squirmed beyond Alexander Nubel deep into stoppage time.

Carlo Ancelotti’s defending champions looked disjointed at times as their star-studded attack takes its time to properly gel, but the Madrid faithful got to see their new star striker find the back of the net on his Champions League bow in the famous white shirt.

Thibaut Courtois was forced into save after save as Sebastian Hoeness’ visitors peppered the Madrid goal, but they lacked that clinical edge as the hosts stole the points on matchday one.

Jamie Leweling was the one that the chances always seemed to fall to, and he was the first to sting the palms of Courtois with the game’s first effort on four minutes, as the visitors surprisingly sought to assert their dominance on the biggest stage.

Enzo Millot will rue the chance that he had on 10 minutes when he broke clean through but dragged his left-footed effort wide of the target, and Angelo Stiller also went one-on-one with Courtois but was foiled by the big Belgian.

Madrid had a penalty initially awarded for what seemed a dubious swipe from Max Mittelstadt on Rudiger following a bouncing ball from a corner, but VAR overruled the onfield decision to the audible relief of the travelling German support.

The home fans, however, were getting restless at their side’s disjointment in both boxes, and another chance came and went for the visitors as Undav laid the ball off to Leweling, who tested Courtois once more on 40 minutes.

However, they were caught with a clean counter inside the first minute of the second half, with their defensive line too far upfield; a sweeping Aurelien Tchouameni pass into the right channel released Rodrygo into acres of space, and the Brazilian had the awareness to pick out Mbappe in support, and the Frenchman rolled home for a slightly undeserved lead.

The Germans levelled after a spell of Madrid pressure, and it was Undav who climbed highest to power home the equaliser and score the goal that Hoeness’ side had thoroughly deserved, but their resilience and brilliance was finally conquered as Rudiger rose to glance on a Modric corner, before Endrick’s low rasper.

Talking point - Fab four need time

Jude Bellingham made his return to the Madrid starting line-up after a lay-off that has kept him out of their season’s commence, but he looked as though he needed a bit of time to fully get up to speed with how his team are now playing with Mbappe in their ranks.

That can also be said of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who were also out of their comfort zone looking to create for Mbappe in the middle, rather than fashioning out goalscoring opportunities for themselves.

It led to a particularly bitty attacking display from the defending champions, but one that will be forgotten about, purely because of the result.

Player of the match - Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)

Without their goalkeeper, Ancelotti’s side would have been three or four goals down by the interval.

He made countless saves from varying angles and efforts, and was particularly alert in a game where most would have expected him to have had relatively little to do.