Real Madrid played with 10 men for the final 20 minutes of their Champions League opener but still managed a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over French side Marseille, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s brace from the penalty spot.
The 15-time European champions also made history with this win, becoming the first team to reach 200 Champions League victories since the competition began in 1990 (originally known as the European Cup). Additionally, this marked Real Madrid’s first Champions League win under their new coach, former club legend Xabi Alonso.
Marseille took an early lead in the 22nd minute through Timothy Weah’s excellent finish. However, Real Madrid equalized seven minutes later when Geoffrey Kondogbia fouled Rodrigo inside the box, resulting in a penalty which Mbappe calmly converted.
Real Madrid 2-1 Marseille
The match took a dramatic turn in the 72nd minute when Dani Carvajal received a straight red card for headbutting Marseille’s goalkeeper Jeronimo Rulli, reducing Real to 10 men. Despite being a player down, Real stayed resilient and continued to push forward.
In the 81st minute, Marseille’s Facundo Medina handled the ball trying to block a shot from Vinicius Junior, leading to a VAR-reviewed penalty. Mbappe confidently scored his second goal from the spot to give Real Madrid the lead. Marseille’s Greenwood made late efforts to equalize, but Thibaut Courtois produced a crucial save to preserve the win.
With these two goals, Mbappe reached his 50th for Real Madrid. Midfielder Fede Valverde praised him after the match, saying, “We are happy that he is scoring goals and feeling more comfortable. Our job is to get the ball to him so he has more opportunities to score.”
Before kickoff, Marseille fans clashed with police outside the Santiago Bernabeu, but riot police and mounted officers quickly restored order.
