Mbappe joins Champions League greats as Real Madrid beat Inter 2-1
Kylian Mbappe continued his rise among the Champions League’s greatest goalscorers after finding the net in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
The France captain struck in the 14th minute to reach 71 goals in the competition, moving level with Real Madrid legend Raul in fifth place on the all-time European Cup and Champions League scoring list.
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Mbappe needed only 99 appearances to reach the mark, compared with Raul’s 142 games.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema have scored more goals in the competition.
Mbappe sets Madrid on their way
Mbappe opened the scoring with a composed finish from just inside the penalty area, giving Real their first shot on target of the night.
The hosts doubled their advantage nine minutes later after a costly error from Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
A back pass from Benjamin Pavard put Martinez under pressure and the goalkeeper lost possession to Federico Valverde. The Real captain took advantage of the mistake and calmly tapped the ball into an empty net.
Inter had started brightly, with Thibaut Courtois marking his 100th Champions League appearance by denying Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez.
The Italian champions continued to threaten and came close when Curtis Jones struck the crossbar.
Inter threaten comeback after Augusto goal
Martinez redeemed himself before half-time by producing a double save to deny Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, before the woodwork again came to Inter’s rescue.
Real had opportunities to put the game beyond doubt after the interval, with Bellingham wasting a major chance to make it 3-0.
Inter eventually found a way back into the contest in the 77th minute when Carlos Augusto swept the ball home to set up a tense finish.
The visitors pushed for an equaliser and made further changes, including the introduction of John Stones, a Champions League winner with Manchester City in 2023.
Real ultimately held on for the victory, although their performance failed to completely satisfy the home supporters.
Despite securing an important result, sections of the Madrid crowd voiced their frustration during the match as Mbappe’s individual milestone provided one of the night’s biggest positives.