Mourinho's Real Madrid Carry 3-1 Start Into Champions League Opener Against Inter Milan

José Mourinho is back in a Real Madrid dugout for a competitive European match for the first time in 13 years. His side hosted Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET today, in Madrid's opening match of this season's Champions League league phase.

The Portuguese coach's second spell in Madrid, which began in August 2026, has started with three wins in his first four matches across competitions before a loss broke the run. Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1 away in Mourinho's first official match back, with Jude Bellingham heading home the opener in the ninth minute and substitute Carlos Espi scoring the winner in the 90th, according to The New York Times. Mourinho called that result mixed, telling reporters afterward: "We deserved to win, but Espanyol didn't deserve to lose."

That was followed by a 4-1 home win over Real Sociedad, Mourinho's first match back at the Bernabéu as manager since 2013, where Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick, according to the Daily Mail. Spanish outlet Marca gave Mbappé a perfect 10 for that display and Bellingham a 9, calling him "Mourinho's star signing." Real Madrid then beat Málaga 4-0 at home. Across those three wins, Bellingham, Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior combined for 10 goals, according to The National News.

The run ended last week with a 1-0 loss at Real Betis, Madrid's first defeat of the season. The National News reported Real had 20 shots on goal in that match and still lost. Through four matches, the front three of Bellingham, Vinícius and Mbappé have combined for seven goals and four assists. Real Madrid currently sit third in La Liga, three points behind leaders Barcelona, with the first Clásico of the season scheduled for October 25.

Bellingham's new role

Under Mourinho, Bellingham has moved positions. Last season the English midfielder was frequently pulled deep to cover defensively, something Mourinho says he has scrapped. "Bellingham sometimes defended like a second left-back last season," Mourinho said after the Málaga win, according to Yahoo Sports. "I told him I do not want to see that anymore. I made a deal with him."

Mourinho has used Bellingham as a No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1, playing behind Mbappé with freedom to roam across the front line. "For me, this is his position," Mourinho said. "He has to play close to the goal. Playing at number six or number eight, we're losing his closeness to the goal. I like this Jude." Bellingham, who had his 2025 season disrupted by shoulder surgery and a hamstring injury that cost him 10 matches, has looked fitter and more involved in the final third, per Yahoo's reporting.

Mourinho has also floated Bellingham as a genuine Ballon d'Or candidate for 2026, and separately praised Mbappé's case for the award after the France forward became the World Cup's all-time top scorer over the summer. Vinícius, who was linked with a move away over the summer before signing a new six-year contract, has been called "a machine" by Mourinho.

Suspensions complicate the Inter test

Mourinho goes into the Inter Milan match without two regular starters. Arda Güler and Eduardo Camavinga are serving suspensions carried over from sanctions in last season's Champions League, according to madridistaclub. That has forced tactical improvisation, with reports from Mundo Deportivo suggesting Trent Alexander-Arnold could line up alongside Federico Valverde in midfield and 19-year-old summer signing Yan Diomandé could make his first start on the right wing. Eduardo Camavinga's central-midfield replacement Aurélien Tchouaméni, recovering from injury, was described by Mundo Deportivo as a risky start given his lack of match fitness.

Across the pitch, Inter arrive under Cristian Chivu, a former Mourinho player who led the Italian club to a Serie A and Coppa Italia double in his first season as manager. "Chivu will always be one of my own," Mourinho said ahead of the match. "I'm very happy for him, for what he's achieving." Inter have reached two of the last three Champions League finals, losing to Manchester City in 2023 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2025, and bring a settled core built around Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram and Nicolò Barella.

Not everyone in Madrid is convinced the early form means much. Television presenter David Sánchez warned on his program DSF that the club risks over-hyping a small sample size, saying: "They're inflating the balloon so much that it will eventually burst," and pointed to previous Madrid managers Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa, whose promising starts did not hold up over a full season. Four matches and one road loss to Betis is a thin foundation to declare a rebuilt galáctico era. Madrid have never finished among the top eight in this Champions League format.

The result of today's match against Inter had not been reported as of publication. Real Madrid's next league test comes as they try to close the three-point gap on Barcelona, with the first Clásico of the season on October 25 offering a clearer measure of whether Mourinho's early numbers are real.