Real genuine excitement returns to the Champions League through the gateway of the Santiago Bernabéu, when Real Madrid meet Inter Milan in a heavyweight clash packed with calculations, ambitions and memories.
The Spanish giants want to send an early message to their rivals and put their continental campaign back on track after two seasons in which they fell short of the expected level. Inter, meanwhile, enter the match determined to restore their standing among Europe's elite and stamp their authority from the outset in the new edition of the competition.
Real Madrid hope for a different European start this time. Their goal is not confined to competing for the title. They also want to secure one of the first eight places in the league phase for the first time and avoid the play-off that leads into the knockout rounds.
Inter Milan arrive in the Spanish capital chasing a strong start, one that reflects their ambition to rediscover their best continental version after a perfect run on the domestic front.
Mourinho facing his past
This match carries a special character for José Mourinho, who returns to face the club he coached between 2008 and 2010 and led to the Champions League title, an achievement that later opened the doors of Real Madrid for him.
Now the Portuguese finds himself up against a competition he could never conquer during his first spell with Real Madrid. His run in the Champions League stopped at the semi-final stage across all three of his seasons with the Spanish giants.
Mourinho left Real Madrid without the continental title. In the five years after his departure, the club won four Champions Leagues to become the most-crowned team in the competition's history.
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Real Madrid enter this European clash after their first defeat of the season against Real Betis, a result that raised plenty of questions ahead of a difficult continental test.
Clear chances came and went during the first half. The Spanish giants dominated but failed to translate it into goals, then took the knockout blow after the break through a goal for the Andalusian side.
Back came Real Madrid, reaching their opponent's goal only to see one effort disallowed. Kylian Mbappé then missed a penalty in the closing minutes, and the team left without a point.
The match against Inter, then, looks like a perfect chance for Real Madrid to respond quickly, restore confidence and send a strong message to their Champions League rivals.
Crisis in Real Madrid's midfield
Mourinho faces a genuine crisis in midfield ahead of the Inter match, with absences that badly narrow his options. He has offered no clear hint about his solution, but those absences dictate his choices.
Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva and Eduardo Camavinga will all sit out through suspension, following the red cards they picked up in the previous edition of the Champions League, according to the Spanish newspaper "Sport".
Aurélien Tchouaméni is also unavailable despite his return to training, while Thiago Pitarch has trained again too. A lack of minutes during the preparation period, though, makes it hard for him to feature meaningfully against Inter.
Unconventional solutions will be needed to plug the gaps in midfield. One option on the table is pushing Jude Bellingham into a deeper role, and the Portuguese may also turn to Trent Alexander-Arnold to fill the inside midfielder position.
Relying on academy players remains firmly in play too, with Jorge Cestero or new arrival Sergio Martínez possible candidates. The young midfielder left a good impression in Castilla's latest match against Juventud Torremolinos, which ended in victory, and that could make him one of the emergency solutions Mourinho reaches for in this difficult clash.
The list does not stop there. Rodrygo, Militão and Asensio are all out of the picture, doubts hover over Andriy Lunin due to a bout of flu, and Ferland Mendy has yet to score in the Champions League, which only adds to the difficulty facing the coaching staff.
Mourinho, it seems, is preparing a surprise card to upset Inter Milan's calculations in this European summit, with Brahim Díaz emerging as one of the options he may lean on to give Real Madrid extra solutions in the attacking third.
With the midfield ravaged by absences, the Portuguese wants players capable of moving between the lines and creating an attacking overload, which could make Díaz one of the keys to his plan against a team he knows well and once led to European glory.
His hope is that this secret card delivers the element of surprise, especially with Inter arriving full of confidence after their strong domestic start. That makes any small detail capable of changing the course of the anticipated summit clash at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Inter also suffer from a crisis on the flanks
Inter Milan, by contrast, enter the match with morale sky high after a perfect start in Serie A under Cristian Chivu.
The team won its opening three league matches before edging a thriller against Napoli, turning a two-goal deficit into a precious 3-2 win.
Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram scored Inter's goals, before the Argentine striker struck again in stoppage time to complete a thrilling comeback that lifted the mood ahead of the difficult trip to Madrid.
Full strength, though, is out of reach. Inter too are struggling on the flanks. Djed Spence is carrying physical pain that leaves him short of his best, while doubts also surround Federico Dimarco.
Dimarco limped off against Napoli with a problem in his left knee, and his availability for the Bernabéu remains unresolved.
Despite these absences, Chivu is expected to keep his usual 3-5-2 formation while making some adjustments on both flanks.
Diouf may get a chance to fill the right wing. Carlos Augusto looks the clearest option to cover for Dimarco on the left should the latter's absence be confirmed.
In midfield, Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu will handle the balance and link the lines alongside Curtis Jones, giving the team the tools to deal with Real Madrid's pressure and control the tempo.
Up front, Inter lean mainly on Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram, one of the most dangerous threats to Real Madrid's defence.
Both possess a great ability to exploit space and run in behind, which will make their duel with the Spanish giants' defence one of the most prominent keys to this European summit.
Real Madrid's expected line-up: "Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bellingham, Brahim Díaz; Diomande, Vinícius and Mbappé".
Inter Milan's expected line-up: "Martínez; Diouf, Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni, Carlos Augusto; Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Curtis Jones; Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram".