Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart (17 Sep, 2024) Game Analysis

Actual Madrid began their Champions League title defence with a hard-fought 3-1 residence win over Stuttgart on Tuesday because of late objectives by Antonio Rueiger and Endrick, which cancelled out Deniz Undav’s equaliser.

Stuttgart have been arguably the superior facet at a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium, with Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making a string of essential saves to disclaim efforts by the German facet.

Nonetheless, Madrid bought the lead within the first minute of the second half in a fast counter-attack when Rodrygo crossed for Kylian Mbappe to strike from shut vary.

Stuttgart discovered the equaliser with Undav’s header within the 68th minute, however Madrid substitute Luka Modric lifted a nook to fulfill Rudiger within the six-yard field and he nodded a header previous the goalkeeper within the 83rd.

Eighteen-year-old Endrick slotted residence a strong shot from lengthy vary deep into added time to safe an edgy win for the native facet.

“Those that watch Stuttgart carefully know that they’re an attacking facet which scores numerous objectives however may be caught off guard; I am glad that we managed to exit with a win,” player-of-the-match Courtois advised Movistar Plus. “They pressed exhausting towards us at first and we suffered, typically by our personal errors, however we bought higher and will have scored on many events.

“I am content material with the best way we responded after the equaliser as a result of successful is essential on this new format of the Champions League.”

Supervisor Carlo Ancelotti, confronted with a variety puzzle in defence with David Alaba nonetheless recovering from an ACL tear sustained final season and Éder Militão fighting a lingering leg muscle drawback, began full-back Dani Carvajal as a centre-back and Stuttgart went aggressively after the proper facet of Madrid’s defence, virtually scoring on a number of events.

Carvajal and stand-in fullback Lucas Vázquez, each 1.73 metres tall, have been simple targets for Stuttgart and have been typically caught out of place, giving the German facet probabilities all through the primary half.

An impressed Courtois produced world-class saves from efforts by Jamie Leweling, Enzo Millot and Angelo Stiller inside the first 20 minutes.

Actual tried to hit again, with Mbappe, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo all losing good probabilities, but it surely was Stuttgart who got here near scoring via Undav in a counter-attack within the twenty ninth minute when his strike was deflected on to the crossbar by Carvajal.

Ancelotti introduced Militao off the bench at half-time, shifting Carvajal to his unique fullback place in a bid to repair his facet’s points, and a defensive mistake by Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt gave Actual the opener within the first minute of the second half.

Aurélien Tchouaméni despatched an extended ball in direction of Rodrygo on the proper touchline that Mittelstadt didn’t clear, leaving the Brazilian ahead unmarked and capable of management the ball in his stride earlier than crossing to Mbappe who tapped into the empty web from the far publish.

Actual Madrid stored piling on the strain, with Rodrygo lacking a few probabilities and Vinicius Jr hitting the crossbar from the sting of the field within the 59th minute.

Stuttgart have been nonetheless harmful on the break and Courtois needed to make a few saves from efforts by Leweling earlier than Undav’s header from a nook levelled the match.

Stuttgart stored threatening a chaotic Madrid defence, however the Spanish facet bought the lead once more via Rudiger.

Vinicius Jr missed a sitter one-on-one towards Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel within the 93rd minute, two minutes earlier than Endrick’s rocket strike from method outdoors the field.