A landmark goal from Kylian Mbappe helps Real Madrid come from behind in a 2-1 Champions League win against Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Real Madrid kicked off their Champions League campaign by coming from behind to win 2-1 against Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.
Kylian Mbappe came close to opening the scoring with an improvised bicycle kick after just 70 seconds, and 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono, who became the youngest-ever player to start in the Champions League for Real Madrid, hit the post at the end of a determined run as part of the continued early pressure on the visitors' goal.
However, Los Blancos found themselves 1-0 down when Timothy Weah rifled a powerful shot from close range past a helpless Thibaut Courtois to score his first goal for Les Olympiens.
Xabi Alonso's side were let off the hook just moments later when Geoffrey Kondogbia brought down Rodrygo in the Marseille box with an outstretched leg, giving Mbappe the opportunity to level the contest from 12 yards.
Mastantuono should have given the hosts the lead seconds before half time when he was handed a gilt-edged chance by Mbappe, but he shot straight at Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli rather than into the mostly-empty net.
Real began the second period as they did the first, creating chance after chance in the opening five minutes and coming closest when a deflected effort from Mbappe hit the crossbar.
With less than 20 minutes to go, substitute right-back Dani Carvajal was sent off for a headbutt on Rulli, marking the second game on the bounce that Los Blancos had a player dismissed.
In another twist to this dramatic match, Mbappe secured all three points for Madrid when Facundo Medina's handball gave him the opportunity to score his 50th goal for the club with a second penalty late on.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
Trent Alexander-Arnold retuned to the Madrid starting XI after missing out during the weekend's 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, but he pulled up with what seemed to be a hamstring injury with just three minutes on the clock, and was replaced by Carvajal.
The 26-year-old right-back has endured a tough start to life in Spain since leaving Liverpool, and he will be hoping to be back in action before Los Blancos travel to Anfield to face the Reds on November 4.
Speaking of Alonso's backline, the 15-time Champions League winners have not kept a home clean sheet in the competition since a November 2023 group game against Braga, and they will need to solve their defensive issues if they are to reclaim the trophy.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Vinicius Junior failed to make the lineup once again, with Rodrygo operating on the left, though Mbappe continued his streak of scoring, and has now netted in his teams' last four Champions League openers.
As for Marseille, they made six changes from Friday's 4-0 thrashing of Lorient, and while they missed the likes of Nayef Aguerd due to concussion protocols, they looked dangerous when going forward.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Weah and Mason Greenwood make for a strong front three, and Roberto De Zerbi's side could cause problems for a number of European giants in 2025-26.
REAL MADRID VS. MARSEILLE HIGHLIGHTS
Timothy Weah goal vs. Real Madrid (22nd min, Real Madrid 0-1 Marseille)
Marseille have looked dangerous on the counter, and they take advantage of a mistake from Los Blancos through Greenwood, who carries the ball to the Madrid box before passing it to Weah, who then powers home the opener to Courtois's right-hand side.
Kylian Mbappe goal vs. Marseille (28th min, Real Madrid 1-1 Marseille)
Rodrygo cut inside from the left wing and was brought down by an outstretched leg from Kondogbia, leaving the referee with an easy decision to point to the spot.
Mbappe made no mistake from 12 yards, placing the ball into the left-hand side of the net with power for his 49th Madrid goal.
72nd min: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) red card
The Madrid captain is involved in an altercation with Marseille goalkeeper Rulli, and appears to lose his composure before headbutting the shot stopper.
The referee is guided to the monitor by VAR, and sends off Carvajal after seeing the replay, leaving Los Blancos with 10 men for the second game in a row.
Kylian Mbappe goal vs. Marseille (81st min, Real Madrid 2-1 Marseille)
Alvaro Carreras wins possession back before working it to Vinicus Jr, and Real earn a second penalty when Medina touches the ball with his arm after tackling the Brazilian winger.
Mbappe steps up once again and puts his team in front for the first time in the match with a strike towards the bottom-left corner, though Rulli came close to saving it.
MAN OF THE MATCH - GERONIMO RULLI
It is rare to see a player on the losing side receive the man of the match title, and even rarer when the opposition's striker scored two goals.
However, Rulli kept his team competitive with a staggering 13 saves, including a number of close-range one-on-one stops, and was only beaten by two penalties.
REAL MADRID VS. MARSEILLE MATCH STATS
Possession: Real Madrid 43%-57% Marseille
Shots: Real Madrid 28-15 Marseille
Shots on target: Real Madrid 15-5 Marseille
Corners: Real Madrid 9-4 Marseille
Fouls: Real Madrid 9-14 Marseille
BEST STATS
WHAT NEXT?
Up next for Madrid is a La Liga clash against Espanyol on Saturday afternoon, while Marseille will welcome Paris Saint-Germain for a blockbuster Ligue 1 showdown on Sunday evening.
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