Real Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan: Federico Valverde lavishes praise on "incredible" Los Blancos star after Champions League win

By Matt Law | 08 Sep 2026 22:17, Last updated: 08 Sep 2026 22:19

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has lavished praise connected Thibaut Courtois' show successful Tuesday's Champions League occurrence implicit Inter Milan.

Jose Mourinho's broadside managed to unfastened their 2026-27 European run with a triumph astatine Bernabeu, arsenic goals from Kylian Mbappe and Valverde handed them a 2-1 triumph implicit Inter.

However, it was acold from a straightforward lucifer for Real Madrid, with Inter really having 21 shots during a beardown performance, 7 of which were connected target.

Inter managed to halve the shortage successful the 77th infinitesimal done Carlos Augusto but were incapable to people a 2nd to level the scores successful the Spanish capital.

Valverde was afloat of praise for his goalkeeper aft the match, insisting that Courtois "saved" Los Blancos successful their European fixture.

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Real Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan: Courtois made 7 saves successful beardown show astatine Bernabeu

Courtois came up with 7 saves during a beardown performance.

"Thibaut Courtois saved us," Valverde told reporters successful his post-match interview.

"I deliberation we enactment successful a large archetypal half. I deliberation this grant (Man of the Match award) is mostly acknowledgment to Courtois. He saved america and delivered an unthinkable performance, truthful I deliberation this grant is his arsenic well.

"I deliberation we should person imposed our playing style; we rushed excessively overmuch erstwhile finishing attacks and successful the attack.

"We didn't person the patience to person the shot and play and instrumentality a breather a bit, particularly for the backmost line. That's what made the lucifer brainsick and forced america to ever enactment the defence.

A winning commencement to the Champions League! ? pic.twitter.com/NrOd4SDsBN

Mbappe, Valverde scored the goals successful Real Madrid success

"Jose Mourinho told america precise intelligibly to person the shot more, particularly connected their pitch, and to play with much fluency and calmness.

"That's what we didn't do. In the end, we person to beryllium self-critical; it's existent that we won and it's important to commencement with a win, but we arsenic players request to realise that we enactment successful a mediocre 2nd half, got dragged into playing their style, and didn't present a large match."

Real Madrid volition beryllium aiming to marque it back-to-back wins erstwhile they proceed their La Liga run against Rayo Vallecano connected Saturday night.