Real Madrid on Tuesday thwarted a second-half comeback from Inter to win 3-2 and give their UEFA Champions League bid lift-off in Group B.
Madrid’s 19-year-old Brazilian Rodrygo came off the bench to score the winner at the empty Estadio Alfredo di Stefano in Valdebebas, Spain, where Inter threatened a remarkable turnaround after drawing level from two goals down.
Lautaro Martinez and Ivan Perisic gave Inter hope of a victory after Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos had put Madrid in command, Ramos heading in a second point after 30 minutes for his 100th Real Madrid goal.
Photo: AFP
However, Rodrygo had the last word. His cool finish in the 80th minute earned Zinedine Zidane’s side their first win, leaving Inter with a mountain to climb if they are to make the last 16.
“It’s three very important points for us,” Zidane said. “We had to win and we did it with character, after suffering against a very good opponent. It wasn’t easy.”
These teams were expected to fight for the top two spots in the group, but both came into this game on the back of stumbling starts, Inter only taking two points from an opening game against Borussia Moenchengladbach and Madrid just one from their opener against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Neither coach could afford another slip-up either after a bumpy few weeks. Antonio Conte’s Inter have won only one of their past seven games, while Madrid appear to have turned a corner following consecutive losses last month.
“We have to keep our heads up and continue to work,” Martinez said. “We play well, but always make some mistakes. You simply cannot afford that at this level.”
“Real have players with a lot of experience,” Conte said. “They know when to finish the game. We are missing a bit of that.”
The lively Perisic replaced the injured Romelu Lukaku up front for Inter and Eden Hazard started for the second time this season for Madrid. Belgium’s Hazard delivered only in glimpses before being taken off shortly after the hour.
Inter’s right-back Achraf Hakimi also went up against the club that sold him for 40 million euros (US$47 million) in July and although he was dangerous going forward, it was his poor backpass that led to Benzema’s opening goal.
Madrid were the stronger side in the first half, but conceded chances and were vulnerable on the break.
Marco Asensio went close after a cutback from Hazard before two Inter counters saw Nicolo Barella hit the crossbar and Martinez force a save from Thibaut Courtois.
Fede Valverde should have scored, but scuffed a half-volleyed finish after a neat header from Benzema, who then did score, capitalizing on Hakimi’s error to round the goalkeeper and slot home.
When Ramos headed in Toni Kroos’ corner in the 33rd minute, Madrid looked comfortable, but in the 35th minute, they let Inter back in, a sumptuous flicked back-heel from Barella spinning into the path of Lautaro, who made no mistake.
Hazard went off just after the hour, with Madrid less dominant and Inter’s confidence growing. They equalized with the first real chance of the half, as Perisic darted onto Martinez’s header and finished into the far corner.
The game was in the balance. Lautaro curled over and Perisic fired wide, with Inter even looking the more likely to grab a winner, but Madrid struck again. Two substitutes combined on the break, as Vinicius Junior sped clear on the left and crossed to Rodrygo on the right, his fellow Brazilian controlling and sweeping in.
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals, setting up a repeat of last year’s NHL showpiece against reigning champions the Florida Panthers. The Oilers, bidding to become the first Canadian team to win the NHL’s championship series since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, head to Florida for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series set for Wednesday. Florida, who are to play in the NHL showpiece for the third straight season, won last year’s title 4-3 to extend Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought. Connor McDavid led Edmonton back to the championship series on
RSS