In the Zone: Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois make the difference for Real Madrid in Champions League opener against Inter

It was like they had never been away. UEFA Champions League football was back at the Santiago Bernabéu last night and Real Madrid were back doing what they have done so many times in this competition over the years as big players produced big moments to deliver victory over Inter.

Kylian Mbappé, fresh from collecting his Golden Boot as last season's 15-goal top scorer, opened his account for 2026/27 with a clinical finish – from Madrid's first attempt after 14 minutes. At the other end, Thibaut Courtois marked his 100th Champions League appearance with several important saves to ensure José Mourinho's men edged an end-to-end contest.

This two-part video analysis, brought to you by FedEx, shows both men doing what they do best – in Mbappé's case punishing a slip by Yann Bisseck in ruthless fashion. With that goal, shown below, he has now scored in eleven consecutive Champions League campaigns.

Kylian Mbappé’s explosive attacking

With his speed and explosivity, Mbappé might have had more goals too as he highlighted Madrid's counterattacking menace (see clip two). "When you have exceptional players like Mbappé, everyone knows he can win you the game," said UEFA Technical Observer Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who stressed the importance of the Frenchman's early shot for his goal.

"He hits the ball as early as he can. He slides and reaches for it and, with the timing, he doesn't let the keeper read when he's going to shoot and where he's going to put it."

Thibaut Courtois keeps them out

As for Courtois, video two shows his 50th-minute stop from Curtis Jones, then a late save from Henrikh Mkhitaryan – two of seven saves overall from the Belgian, whose presence leaves opposition players often seeking the perfect shot to beat him, according to Solskjær. "For the other team, it's like: 'We really need to hit the corners, and they really need to be good finishes.'"

"An absolutely incredible goalkeeper," was the verdict of his coach Mourinho, meanwhile. Ultimately, football matches are won in both boxes – and Madrid are up and running thanks to their world-class operators in each of them.

A renowned striker who landed six Premier League titles at Manchester United and scored the winner in the 1998/99 Champions League final, Ole Gunnar Solskjær steered Molde to two league championships in his native Norway then reached the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League final as United boss.