Real Madrid suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat away to Real Betis on Friday, the worst possible send-off before hosting Inter in their Champions League opener at the Bernabeu.

According to the primary reporting, Jose Mourinho’s side had won all three matches since he took over this summer, beating Espanyol 2-1, Real Sociedad 4-1 and Malaga 4-0. That run ended at the Estadio La Cartuja, where Troy Parrott’s goal was enough to sink the Merengues.

Kylian Mbappe had the chance to level from the penalty spot but was denied by a strong save from Alvaro Valles. Real Madrid thought they had rescued a point late on through Carlos Espi, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Poor Preparation for Bernabeu Opener

Inter are Real Madrid’s first opponents in this season’s Champions League, with the tie set for the Bernabeu on Tuesday, September 9, as confirmed by the source. It caps a demanding week for Mourinho’s squad, who now have to regroup quickly with Europe’s top competition looming, as detailed in Inter’s Champions League fixture schedule.

Aerial view of the modern Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid with crowds of people gathered outside
Photo by Caio Cezar on Pexels

Cristian Chivu’s side, by contrast, won’t play domestically until Saturday evening, when Inter host Napoli in Serie A. That gives the Nerazzurri an extra day’s rest compared to a Real Madrid team now searching for answers after a flat display in Seville.

Several of Madrid’s marquee names struggled to make an impact. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior were both fairly quiet, while the €125m signing Yan Diomande also had a subdued outing – details Inter will have noted closely ahead of assembling their Champions League squad for the trip to the Spanish capital.