Kylian Mbappe opened his UEFA Champions League goal account for defending champions Real Madrid in a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu. The French forward, making his debut in Europe’s elite competition for Los Blancos, broke the deadlock just 20 seconds into the second half.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s perfectly placed pass found Rodrygo on the right, who unselfishly squared the ball for Mbappe to tap into the net.
Stuttgart fought back, and former Brighton forward Deniz Undav headed in a deserved equalizer in the 68th minute, making it a tense affair for the Madrid faithful. However, Real Madrid regained the lead in the 83rd minute through a powerful header from Antonio Rudiger before substitute Endrick sealed the win with the last kick of the game.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham made his return, playing 80 minutes after missing four matches with a calf injury.
Despite the scoreline, Stuttgart had multiple chances to take the lead in the first half, with Enzo Millot missing a key opportunity and Thibaut Courtois making a crucial save to deny Angelo Stiller. Undav came close again, hitting the crossbar with a deflected shot. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr also rattled the bar with a long-range strike in the 58th minute.
Next up, Real Madrid travel to Lille, while Stuttgart will host Sparta Prague.
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