Although somewhat premature seeing as it was only Matchday 3 in the Champions League, Real Madrid and Inter Milan at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano was billed as a must-win game for both clubs on Tuesday.
The match didn’t disappoint with Real taking a two-goal lead through Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos before Lautaro Martínez and Ivan Perišić leveled for Inter. In the 80th minute, substitutes Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo combined to hand Real a much-needed first win in group play.
Still, the table shows Gladbach in first and Shakhtar in second after the German club travelled to Ukraine and hammered the home side 6-0 earlier in the day, while Real climbed to third and Inter sunk to fourth.
A beautifully poised start to the match unraveled from an Inter perspective in the 25th minute when La Fábrica graduate Achraf Hakimi attempted the blindest of 40-yard back passes.
Karim Benzema intercepted, leapt over the outrushing Samir Handanović and finished.
Hakimi, you're not teammates anymore
He gives Karim Benzema a gift and it's 1-0 Real Madrid. pic.twitter.com/f0Oker9slW— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Eight minutes later, Sergio Ramos’ 100th goal for Real — giving ESPN FC's Twitter enough false equivalency ammunition to last until 2050 — made it 2-0 off a corner kick.
¡Goooooooooool del Real Madrid!
Espectacular cabezazo del capitán, del líder, del mejor jugador del Madrid. ¡Ramos y el segundo de los merengues! @realmadrid 2-0 @Inter_es #UCL | #RealMadrid | #InterEn vivo
TUDN
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/6AMQKiaPG1 pic.twitter.com/QMflw0qRkK— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) November 3, 2020
But just two minutes later, Inter halved the deficit thanks to Nicolò Barella’s audacious flick followed by Lautaro Martinez’s finish. Inter had looked lost going forward without the injured Romelu Lukaku, but again, what an assist from Barella.
¡Gooooooool del Inter!
Golazo espectacular de Lautaro por la asistencia de crack de Barella. Descuentan los nerazzurri. @realmadrid 2-1 @Inter_es #UCL | #RealMadrid | #InterEn vivo
TUDN
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/6AMQKiaPG1 pic.twitter.com/kWYshqyx4u— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) November 3, 2020
The next half hour was mainly dramatics as Arturo Vidal — who promised to approach the game as a Barcelona player heading into El Clásico — was handed a yellow card for a robust challenge, and Vinícius entered for Eden Hazard before bashfully exchanging a few passes with Benzema.
Real seemed to be growing in control but then Ramos’ attempted interception ended with the ball at the feet of Vidal. With Ramos out of position, Vidal played the simplest of passes to Martinez, who quickly fed Ivan Perišić for the equalizer. Lucas Vázquez is not a right back.
¡Gooooooooooool del Inter!
Perisic define machucado y logra vencer a Courtois. ¡Partido nuevo en el Di Stéfano! @realmadrid 2-2 @Inter_es #UCL | #RealMadrid | #InterEn vivo
TUDN
Síguelo aquí https://t.co/6AMQKiaPG1 pic.twitter.com/7TAGhjUyU0— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) November 3, 2020
The final twist of the plot arrived with 10 minutes to go when the embattled Vinícius played a low cross that found Rodrygo. The 19-year-old already has five Champions League goals to his name.
Samba hours
Vinícius Júnior finds Rodrygo, Real Madrid have their lead back. pic.twitter.com/StmIcfQRKd— Champions League on CBS Sports (@UCLonCBSSports) November 3, 2020
Last season’s group-stage exit for Inter was more understandable with Antonio Conte having just arrived and with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund taking the top spots (although the failure to beat Barça’s B-team on the final matchday was damning), but I Nerazzurri now have to defeat Real at the San Siro on Nov. 25 to keep the Round of 16 dream alive.
With Inter currently sixth in Serie A, it’s tough to imagine Conte surviving back-to-back group stage eliminations.
