MADRID: Jose Mourinho guided Real Madrid to a 2-1 victory over his former club, Inter Milan, in a tense match at the Santiago Bernabeu early this morning.
The 15-time European champions took a two-goal lead through Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde in the first half thanks to two mistakes by Inter players.
Carlos Augusto closed the gap for Cristian Chivu’s team in the second half, but Inter failed to find an equalizer.
Mourinho led Inter to Champions League glory in 2010 at the same stadium, before joining Real Madrid for his first spell as manager a few days later.
After two seasons without a major trophy and early elimination on the European stage, Real president Florentino Perez brought the Portuguese coach home to restore the club’s glory.
Mourinho started the league phase with an entertaining victory, helping Real bounce back after suffering their first defeat of the season to Real Betis in La Liga last Friday.
“It was a crazy match. There is always criticism when matches are boring and today it was a crazy match.
“A match that ended 2-1 could have ended 7-6 without any problems,” Mourinho told Movistar.
Mourinho admitted his team struggled to control the game, but said Inter had also failed to do the same.
“If you don’t have control and they do, it’s a very difficult situation.
“But if you don’t have that and they don’t have that… Courtois made a lot of saves, but how many chances did we miss?… It was a great match,” he said.
Inter striker Lautaro Martinez admitted his team failed to capitalise on opportunities after Thibaut Courtois, making his 100th Champions League appearance, made several crucial saves.
“We failed to capitalize on all the opportunities we created.
“We still leave this place proud of playing at a high level against a great opponent.
“Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but we need to improve our finishing and should be able to do better,” said the Inter captain.
Inter started the game aggressively but two big mistakes in defense gave Real a chance.
Courtois made two saves as Inter tested the home defence early in the game.
However, in the 14th minute, Curtis Jones’ poor pass put Yann Bisseck under pressure before Brahim Diaz passed the ball to Mbappe, who quickly finished off the opportunity to open the scoring.
Real doubled their advantage when Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez held onto the ball for too long before Valverde attacked him and snatched the ball to slot home.
Mourinho’s side should have added to their tally before the break, but Martinez made up for his mistake by denying Jude Bellingham’s effort.
Mbappe sprinted past the Inter defence before his shot was saved by Martinez, who then blocked Bellingham’s shot from close range.
Courtois also saved the day by saving Alessandro Bastoni’s low shot as Inter tried to get back into the game.
“The second half was a bit too crazy and that’s something we need to improve,” said Courtois.
Carlos Augusto then headed in Lautaro Martinez’s pass in the 77th minute to give Real a worrying end to the match.
But Courtois once again saved his team when he parried Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s attempt to ensure Real took home the three points.
Valverde was named man of the match, but the Uruguayan midfielder said the award also belonged to Courtois.
“I think he saved us today. He produced an incredible performance, so I think this award also belongs to him,” said Valverde.
LONDON: Liverpool open their Champions League campaign with a high-profile clash against Atletico Madrid at Anfield early on Thursday morning, with the Spanish club set to be the Reds’ toughest test so far this season.
Andoni Iraola’s team had a rocky start in the domestic competition when they drew 2-2 in their first two Premier League (EPL) matches before achieving their first win under the Spanish coach when they beat Ipswich Town away.
With Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo enjoying a stellar start to the season, the combination of the two players could be a key factor if Liverpool are to overthrow Diego Simeone’s side.
Isak appears to have finally found his rhythm for the first time since joining the Merseyside club for Britain’s highest transfer fee last summer.
His two quick goals against Ipswich at Portman Road gave an idea of the threat the Swedish striker can pose under Iraola.
Isak has now equalled the number of EPL goals he scored throughout last season, thus looking more like the player Liverpool bought from Newcastle United than the striker who struggled to maintain consistency last season.
Apart from his goal-scoring ability and shooting threat, Isak’s movement also looks much sharper and more dangerous.
However, Isak doesn’t have to shoulder the attacking task alone as his partnership with Gakpo continues to develop.
Gakpo can be said to be Liverpool’s best player this season as his performances have improved in every match under the Reds’ new manager.
The Dutchman also provided two assists for Isak against Ipswich in the last match.
Iraola used the 27-year-old winger in a different role compared to when he played under Slot over the past two seasons.
Gakpo was given more freedom to create chances, but at the same time reduced his attempts to score.
What makes the Gakpo and Isak pairing so difficult for opposing defenses to deal with is that both are capable of operating from the left side as well as in the middle.
This means their positional switching and ability to pull defenders out of position can be a major threat.
NOTTINGHAM: Tottenham Hotspur’s failure to secure a genuine striker despite spending more than 300 million pounds to rebuild the squad was clearly evident when they only drew 0-0 against Nottingham Forest, thus earning their first point in the English Premier League (EPL) this season but are still waiting for their first goal.
A disappointing end to the transfer window saw Spurs fail to sign Everton striker Iliman Ndiaye, who ended up joining Manchester City, while the club’s top scorer last season, Richarlison, was not named in the squad for the EPL.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi has received strong support from the club in the transfer market, especially with the presence of several attacking midfielders and wingers, but his team’s attacking machinery still appears to lack virility.
Savio, who joined Spurs alongside City’s Omar Marmoush, failed to make an impact before being substituted.
The club’s only genuine striker, Dominic Solanke, came close to breaking the deadlock late in the game after coming on as a substitute, while Marmoush squandered a great chance before the break when his shot went wide.
Although the first clean sheet after losing 0-3 to Brentford and 0-2 to Newcastle United at home is a positive, the lack of players who are proven to be capable of scoring goals is seen as a big problem for Spurs.
“I thought we played well but we need to improve our game in the final third,” said De Zerbi, who helped Spurs avoid relegation last season after taking over with seven games remaining.
Spurs failed to force Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels to make any saves, the first time they have failed to produce an accurate shot on target in an EPL match since April 2022.
They also last failed to score in three consecutive league matches in November 2021.
However, De Zerbi from Italy didn’t think too much about the statistics.
“We could have scored three or four goals today because if you make the wrong decision, you won’t score. But for me, it’s still an opportunity to score,” he said.
He is also confident that the network will be available soon.
“I like these players. Marmoush, we have to analyse whether he is capable of scoring 15 or 12 goals. I think so, because he has all the qualities needed to score that number of goals.
“He needs to improve, of course. So does Domi Solanke. I think if Domi was fit and in top physical condition, the opportunity he had earlier would have been something different,” he said.
Meanwhile, Forest manager Oliver Glasner felt his team were denied a clear goal after Neco Williams put the ball into the net in the second half following a chaotic situation in the Spurs defence.
However, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, referee Craig Pawson ruled that the ball had hit Williams’ hand as he charged to head the ball on the goal line.
“It’s not clear and real. You need four different camera angles and then make the assumption that he might have touched the ball with his arm.
“VAR should tell the referee to stick with the decision on the pitch because it’s about reinforcing the referee’s decision. Stick with the decision on the pitch,” said Glasner, who saw his team collect two points from their first three matches.
LONDON: Manchester City opened a new era by setting a record for the highest spending in a single Premier League transfer window, while Chelsea made Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player in history.
Tottenham Hotspur also spent big, but defending champions Arsenal failed to land a high-profile striker, while Liverpool and Manchester United may still not have made enough signings.
After EPL clubs broke the summer transfer spending record with a total of 3.49 billion pounds before the transfer window closed last Tuesday, AFP highlights some of the key points.
Pep Guardiola’s departure after a glorious decade as Manchester City manager sparked a massive shake-up by his successor, Enzo Maresca.
Maresca broke the Premier League record for spending in a single transfer window when he spent 458 million pounds on several new players in an effort to restore City as a major force in English football.
City have failed to win the title in the last two seasons and with Rodri, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Savio and Tijjani Reijnders among the players leaving the club, the Abu Dhabi owners are using their financial strength to act.
Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez was brought out of Chelsea for 125 million pounds, equaling the record transfer fee paid by a British club, while Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson joined City for 116 million pounds.
Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye was also signed for £65 million, while Lille’s Moroccan teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi cost £85 million.
Chelsea may be missing Fernandez, but new manager Xabi Alonso is still spending 349 million pounds to strengthen the squad that finished 10th last season.
England midfielder Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for 117 million pounds, while Maxence Lacroix, Emiliano Martinez, Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson were among the experienced EPL players who were also brought in.
Chelsea opened the season with two convincing wins. Could they now be ready to challenge for the title?
Already the bookmakers’ top pick to lift the EPL trophy, Arsenal are hoping to land a high-profile striker in their bid to win back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time since the 1930s.
Interest in Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior and Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez ultimately failed to lead to any deals.
However, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has little reason to worry after strengthening his squad with Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis, and his team has proven their mettle by opening their title defence campaign with two consecutive wins.
MADRID: Real Madrid continued their perfect start to LaLiga by thrashing newly promoted Malaga 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jose Mourinho’s side scored three goals in the first 30 minutes before adding a fourth in injury time to secure a comfortable victory.
Jude Bellingham opened the scoring with a stunning solo effort, followed by an own goal from Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero and a powerful volley from Kylian Mbappe before half-time.
Substitute Arda Guler then completed the victory in injury time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The victory saw Real collect nine points from three matches, two points ahead of Atletico Madrid and Alaves.
Barcelona are in fourth place with six points from two matches before hosting Rayo Vallecano tonight.
After fielding the same line-up against Espanyol and Real Sociedad in the opening two league matches, Mourinho made five changes with Marc Cucurella given his first start as a first-team player.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, selected over Denzel Dumfries, almost opened the scoring in the first minute when he curled an effort with the outside of his right foot that went just wide.
Malaga responded in the 15th minute when Joaquin Munoz unleashed a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area that almost beat Thibaut Courtois.
However, the visitors’ resilience did not last long.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a solo run in the middle of the field.
He collected a loose ball near the penalty area line, passed three defenders before firing a low shot past Herrero.
Real doubled their lead seven minutes later through Mbappe.
Bellingham headed the ball back towards goal and when Herrero collided with a teammate while trying to clear the ball, it ended up bouncing into his own net.
Mbappe then made it 3-0 in the 30th minute when he met Alexander-Arnold’s cross with a stunning volley from the centre of the penalty area.
Real slowed down after the break, but Bellingham almost scored his second goal in the 55th minute when his shot from inside the penalty area hit the post.
The second half then proceeded without much threat until Guler, who had just been brought on, sparked and completed an interesting move.
He first passed the ball to Vinicius Jr before finishing the Brazilian’s pass back to complete Real’s big win.
Real Madrid return to action on Friday when they travel to Seville to face Real Betis in LaLiga action, before starting their Champions League campaign a few days later by hosting Inter Milan.