Before Real Madrid-Inter
Real Madrid they will start their last Champions League campaign on Tuesday evening when they welcome Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Jose Mourinho will face his former club for the first time in the competition, 16 years after guiding Inter to European glory.
Madrid have won 17 of their last 19 Champions League openers, including each of their last five.
Inter will provide a major test, however, with the Italian side arriving in Madrid after a perfect start to their Serie A title defence.
Cristian Chivu’s side have won all three league games, beating Monza and Cagliari before picking up a big win against Napoli last weekend.
However, they have lost their last four meetings with Los Blancos and have failed to score in each of the last three.
Their last win over Madrid came in 1998, meaning they will be looking to end a long wait for another win on Tuesday.
UEFA Champions League table
League phase
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position 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24: Play Offs
Real Madrid-Inter team news
Real Madrid have several selection issues to contend with ahead of their Champions League opener.
Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva are all suspended due to suspensions carried over from last season.
Aurelien Tchouameni is also a major doubt after suffering muscle problems, which could see Jude Bellingham drop in alongside Federico Valverde in midfield.
Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Thiago Pitarch are also expected to miss out through injury.
Raul Asencio, Endrick and Marc Cucurella will be assessed ahead of the game as Madrid continue to deal with a number of fitness issues.
Inter have a considerably cleaner bill of health, with Djed Spence their only notable absentee as he continues to improve his fitness from injury.
Expected lineups for Real Madrid-Inter
Real Madrid: Courteous; Dumfries, Conate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bellingham, Valverde; Diomande, Diaz, Vinicius Jr; Mbappé
Inter Milan: Martinez; Pals, Bisseck, Akanji; Diouf, Barella, Jones, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
ℹ️ The official lineups are not yet available. They are usually announced 20-40 minutes before kick-off, depending on the competition.
Real Madrid-Inter recent form and statistics
- Real Madrid have won 17 of their last 19 Champions League openers.
- Los Blancos have won each of their last five Champions League openers.
- Real Madrid have lost in the quarter-finals in each of the last two Champions League campaigns.
- Inter have lost their last four meetings with Real Madrid.
- The Nerazzurri have failed to score in each of their last three games against Madrid.
- Inter’s last win against Real Madrid was in 1998.
- Inter have reached two Champions League finals in the last four editions, but lost both, against Manchester City in 2023 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2025.
Where to watch Real Madrid-Inter: TV and online broadcasts
Real Madrid v Inter Milan will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday evening, kick-off at 20:00 BST.
UK viewers will be able to watch the match live on TNT Sports, with streaming available via HBO Max.
Prediction of Real Madrid-Inter
Both teams arrive in relatively good form, and Jose Mourinho will be keen to top it off at his former club. However, the Italian champions may have an answer for Madrid’s attacking talent on display. An entertaining draw could be the most likely outcome.
Real Madrid
2-2
Inter