Mourinho begins Madrid's Champions League mission against Inter

José Mourinho's return to the Champions League with Real Madrid begins against the club he led to European glory 16 years ago. Inter Milan's visit to the Santiago Bernabéu brings together two of Europe's biggest clubs, both looking to erase disappointing campaigns last season.

Real Madrid exited in the quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, while Inter suffered a surprise playoff elimination by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt. Madrid are pursuing a record-extending 16th European Cup, with the urgency heightened after Paris Saint-Germain won the title last season.

Real have reached the quarterfinals in each of the past two editions and face a demanding league-phase schedule that includes Arsenal, RB Leipzig, Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk. Their opening record remains strong, with 17 wins in their last 19 Champions League openers, including each of the past five.

Mourinho's team won its first three La Liga matches against Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Málaga, but a 1-0 defeat by Real Betis on Friday raised fresh concerns. Kylian Mbappé also missed a penalty in a performance criticized as overly selfish.

Inter have reached the final twice in their last four Champions League campaigns, coming closer than Real to winning the competition since Madrid's 2024 triumph. They won Serie A and the Coppa Italia last season, completing their first league and cup double since Mourinho's celebrated 2009-10 team. Inter have also won all three of their Serie A matches this season, including a dramatic 3-2 comeback against Napoli, completed by Lautaro Martínez's stoppage-time goal.