Real Madrid vs Stuttgart Review
Real Madrid began their UEFA Champions League title defense with a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu, marking their 14th consecutive home game without a loss in this tournament.
Real Madrid is arguably the most challenging opponent for any team in the world, but Stuttgart was determined to make the most of the big occasion and attacked their hosts from the start. In the opening 20 minutes, they forced Thibaut Courtois into making three saves, and Enzo Millot squandered a one-on-one opportunity against the Belgian goalkeeper. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before Real Madrid found their rhythm, and once they did, they created multiple opportunities to score.
Kylian Mbappé posed a significant threat, testing Alexander Nübel with two dangerous attempts. The German goalkeeper managed to save a header from Aurélien Tchouaméni off a corner, while Maximilian Mittelstädt made an impressive block to deflect Rodrygo’s shot over the bar. Shortly after Deniz Undav’s deflected shot struck the crossbar at the other end, Carlo Ancelotti’s team was awarded a penalty when Mittelstädt seemed to kick Antonio Rüdiger’s foot while trying to clear the ball.
However, the referee Halil Umut Meler correctly overturned the decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor and confirming there was no contact between the players. Real Madrid often appears unstoppable, and just 30 seconds into the second half, they demonstrated this by scoring almost immediately from the kick-off. Rodrygo quickly regained possession and set up Mbappé, who scored his first UCL goal for the club. Mbappé had another shot saved, and Vinícius Júnior hit the crossbar, but Courtois had to stay sharp to deny Jamie Leweling’s low shot as Die Schwaben showed they were determined to fight back.
A corner kick reached the back post where an unmarked Leweling set up Undav for a header, igniting excitement among the 4,000 Stuttgart fans who traveled to the match. The rest of the game was fairly tense, but as usual, Madrid found a way to prevail. From a corner taken by Luka Modrić, Rüdiger scored with a header against his former team, regaining the lead for his side. Later, substitute Endrick scored on his Champions League debut during a counterattack, securing the victory. Losing in such a late moment was a tough setback for Hoeneß, but he can take pride in his team’s performance against a Madrid squad that aims to go far in the tournament again.