The story should have been about Kylian Mbappé starting his journey to a first Champions League title with a perfect opening night.
And although Real Madrid secured victory thanks to late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick, a sloppy performance almost saw Stuttgart earn a point at the Bernabeu.
The German side dominated the early stages, with Real relying heavily on Thibaut Courtois to keep the scores level, while the Champions League holders had a penalty disallowed by VAR after Rudiger was brought down in the box.
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Here, Dermot Corrigan analyses the action.
How did Mbappé perform on his big night?
Mbappé has already experienced the Champions League at the Bernabeu with PSG, with some fantastic individual performances and goals, but the final disappointment for his team. Tonight was the first time the Frenchman has played in the stadium in the competition wearing the colours of his new team, and he really enjoyed it.
Even when most of Madrid’s players hadn’t really gotten going in the first half, Mbappé looked the smartest of his team. He picked up the ball 30 yards out, easily outpaced a defender to make room for a shot from the edge of the box that was easily saved by Stuttgart goalkeeper Nubel. Then, out of nowhere, he simply easily outpaced his marker on the left side of the box, before unleashing a shot that put Nubel to a much more testing test.
(THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
Within 23 seconds of the restart, Mbappe scored his goal. When Mittelstadt missed his clearance, allowing Rodrygo to streak down the right flank, Mbappe timed his run to stay in play and meet the cross for a simple finish and his first Champions League goal for Madrid (49th overall).
Almost immediately, Mbappé was free again, scoring himself, even with Jude Bellingham unmarked inside. He finished the game with six shots on target, four on target, although only one found the back of the net.
It wasn’t a typical night for Mbappé, and the Frenchman certainly still has a lot to offer, but after waiting so long he is ready to make a run for Madrid in his and their favourite competition.
Why didn’t Madrid control the midfield?
It was a tremendously exciting ninety minutes, with plenty of chances at both ends of the pitch, but many of them were due to problems in Madrid’s midfield.
Carlo Ancelotti fielded Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham at centre-back, both returning from injury. Neither looked fully fit, coming in and out of the game at times, and neither gave Madrid much control of the ball. It’s unusual for a team to come to the Bernabeu and top the possession statistics, but Stuttgart did it on their return to European competition after more than a decade away.
It was clear how much Madrid missed Toni Kroos, who retired from playing at the end of last season, despite being just 34. Kroos was an automatic starter in Ancelotti’s XI, his array of passes from deep midfield dictating the tempo of even the most difficult games.
(David Ramos/Getty Images)
Tchouameni and Bellingham have many qualities, but neither has shown that they can replace Kroos and control the game from the centre circle.
Ancelotti’s frustration with the way things were going was evident and, immediately after Stuttgart’s more than deserved equaliser, he replaced the Frenchman for veteran Luka Modric.
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Modric, who provided the ball for Rudiger’s goal, was joined in the middle by Fede Valverde, with Bellingham pushed forward. It didn’t really solve the problem, and the play continued to explode from one end to the other, with both teams having chances.
Finding a new way for Madrid to control games now that Kroos is gone is one of Ancelotti’s big challenges this season. The Croatian showed his quality with the ball for Rudiger’s winner, but how long can 39-year-old Modric be the answer?
Defensive woes continue
Madrid also lost Nacho Fernandez last summer, which wasn’t as dramatic as Kroos’ decision to step aside, but it also means Ancelotti loses a key member of last season’s squad.
Nacho has always been useful to have on the pitch to fill gaps when needed anywhere in the back four, and played as a centre-back in last year’s Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund.
The Bernabeu management decided not to replace Nacho when they accepted an offer from Saudi Arabia in the summer. Instead, 27-year-old Jesus Vallejo, who started Madrid’s last La Liga game in May 2022, was retained rather than sent out on loan again.
Ancelotti clearly doesn’t think much of Vallejo, so he tried right-back Dani Carvajal in the centre of defence, as he has done in the past. It didn’t work tonight. Substitute Lucas Vazquez had a difficult first 45 minutes at right-back, and was caught at half-time, having already picked up a yellow card.
The plan was to rest Eder Militao, with the Brazilian struggling with a muscle problem he recently picked up during his international trip with Brazil. But Ancelotti had to bring Militao on at half-time, given all the chances Stuttgart were creating and how busy Courtois had been.
Even with Militao alongside Rudiger, Madrid still didn’t look that solid, with Courtois once again forced to bail them out. The lack of protection in midfield didn’t help, but the overall impression was that Madrid’s squad is missing at least one defender, at least until David Alaba returns from his long-standing knee injury.
How decisive was Courtois (again)?
The opening stages were open and entertaining, with Stuttgart dominating against a slow Real Madrid who took a long time to get going.
Thibaut Courtois was brought into action after just two minutes, when it was all too easy for the visitors to break straight through the centre of the pitch, and Jamie Leweling fired a shot from a corner that Courtois did well to save. A misplaced pass from reserve right-back Lucas Vazquez then allowed Denis Undav to send winger Enzo Millot into a one-on-one with Courtois, who leapt off his line, and Millot sent his shot just wide.
The Belgian international also saved again from Leweling and Millot, reaching four saves and 0.93 goals prevented in the first 20 minutes, in which Stuttgart had an astonishing 71% possession.
Then it was the crossbar that saved Madrid, when Undav’s shot was deflected by Dani Carvajal, went past Courtois, but hit the crossbar.
But we have seen this story many times in the Champions League. A lazy Madrid rides its luck, relies on its goalkeeper, but survives and ultimately thrives.
What future for Real Madrid?
Saturday 21st September: Espanyol (H), La Liga, 8pm BST, 3pm ET
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- How the Champions League ate football: “It was in our DNA, the brand was sacred”
- How the NFL and John Malkovich Inspired UEFA Champions League Kickoff Video
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(Top photo: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)