Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter at the Bernabeu, but the victory came wrapped in complications that reflect the broader tensions running through the club right now. Jose Mourinho's side were clinical early, with Kylian Mbappe scoring his 71st Champions League goal to equal Raul's record, yet they allowed Inter back into the contest in the second half after Federico Valverde admitted the squad ignored the manager's tactical instructions. It was a win, but not a convincing one, and the mood around the club remains unsettled.

Mourinho has had to manage a congested injury and suspension list throughout the early weeks of the season, and the squad crisis forced him into a positional experiment with Trent Alexander-Arnold deployed in midfield. His verdict on that arrangement was blunt, reigniting the debate over where the England international fits in his system. Vinicius Junior was booed by sections of the Bernabeu crowd during the match and substituted late on, prompting Mourinho to publicly defend the Brazilian while acknowledging he was not at his best.

Off the pitch, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has confirmed he will skip Belgium's upcoming Nations League campaign following talks with new national team coach Mark van Bommel. Real Madrid sit third in LaLiga with nine points from four games, and host Rayo Vallecano on September 12, a fixture that carries added pressure given the inconsistency shown so far this season.