Real Tops Inter 2-1, Nikolic's First Champions League Win

On the AEK bench, at the Agia Sophia stadium in Athens, Marko Nikolic raised his arms for a moment. Luka Jovic had put the ball in the LASK net, the referee pointed to the center circle, and the bench and the stands erupted. Then the assistant referee raised his flag. One of Jovic’s teammates was offside, the goal was chalked off, and the 65th minute went down only as a missed chance for an even more convincing scoreline.

That did not spoil Nikolic’s night. AEK had already secured the win in the 21st minute, when Razvan Marin curled a beautifully placed free kick into the net for the only goal of the match. That 1-0 win over the Austrians gave Nikolic something he had never had before: his first win as a coach in the Champions League. In his earlier spell in charge of Lokomotiv Moscow in the same competition, he had picked up three draws and three defeats, and no wins at all.

The match in Athens carried its share of tension too. Nikolic was booked for protesting as early as the 11th minute, and Jovic found his way into the referee’s notebook in the 40th minute, well before the disallowed goal. Mijat Gacinovic, the second Serbian in the AEK squad, came on in the 90+1st minute. For the Greek champions, it marked a return to Europe’s top club competition after an eight year absence, and it came under Nikolic, who led AEK to the Greek title last season.

What Else Happened on Matchday One?

The match in Athens was just one of six played on Tuesday, September 8, at the start of the new Champions League season. The 6:45 pm kickoff also produced a home defeat for Club Brugge, who lost 2-3 to Aston Villa after trailing 1-3 at halftime. The scorers in that match were John McGinn, Hugo Vetlesen, Emiliano Buendia, Nicolas Jackson and Niccolo Tresoldi, the last from the penalty spot.

The 9 pm kickoff drew the most attention with the match in Madrid, but it was far from the only game on the card:

• Manchester City won 2-0 away at Porto, with Erling Haaland scoring both goals, in the 47th and 90+1st minutes
• Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3-2, with a goal from Serhou Guirassy and an own goal by Renato Veiga securing the three points
• Lille lost 2-3 to Real Betis, with Ethan Mbappe, Kylian Mbappe’s younger brother, sent off in the 55th minute, while Ayase Ueda and a Marc Bartra double were on target for Betis

A Wild Match at the Santiago Bernabeu

Real Madrid beat Inter 2-1, but the win was harder earned than the scoreline suggests. Kylian Mbappe put Real ahead in the 14th minute after Curtis Jones lost the ball building out of Inter’s defense, Brahim Diaz slipped it through to him, and the Frenchman finished first time. The second goal came in the 23rd minute, when Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez misplayed a back pass from Pavard, and Federico Valverde simply stole the ball and rolled it into the empty net.

Inter refused to fold even after that. Thibaut Courtois denied shots from Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the visitors pulled one back in the 77th minute, when Carlos Augusto beat the Belgian goalkeeper after a cross from Lautaro Martinez on the right.

Jose Mourinho admitted afterward that he had watched something he had not expected.

This was a crazy match. There is so much criticism when a match is boring, but today it was crazy. It could easily have finished 7-6. We had a weakened midfield. Inter made early substitutions, and there was not much I could change in the middle of the pitch.

The Portuguese coach did not agree that Real had lacked control of the game, even though Spanish commentators pointed out that Inter had been the better side in possession for most of the match.

It is one thing when you have no control, but Inter did not have it either. Courtois made a lot of saves, but remember how many chances we missed on the counterattack.

Asked about the form of Vinicius Junior, who still is not the player he was before his injury, Mourinho was blunt but protective of his forward.

Vinicius worked very hard. He still does not have his sharpness, but he deserves respect because he gives everything he has.

Trent in a New Role, Next Test in Rome

One of the tactical decisions that drew the most interest was the choice to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, alongside Federico Valverde, rather than in his usual full back spot. Mourinho explained afterward why the Englishman, despite never having played that role before, got the job done.

Trent is not a midfielder. He played there in England and at Liverpool too, but that is not what he is. He played well, he did what was tactically asked of him. He and Valverde did a good job.

Alexander-Arnold himself said the new position, surprisingly, did not give him any trouble.

I felt comfortable, even though I have not played much in this position. It feels natural to me. I see myself in this role.

Real Madrid has won the European title more times than any other club, but this season’s trophy is defended by Paris Saint Germain, who beat Arsenal on penalties in last season’s final in Budapest. Twelve more matchday one games remain this week, six on Wednesday and six on Thursday, and Real Madrid will play their next Champions League match away at Roma on October 14.