Follow usReal Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a narrow 2-1 victory over Olympique Marseille at the Santiago Bernabeu, relying on two Kylian Mbappe penalties to turn around a tense evening that also saw captain Dani Carvajal sent off.
The Spanish giants dominated the early stages, Franco Mastantuono rattling the post in the sixth minute before Jerónimo Rulli denied both Rodrygo and Mbappé in quick succession. But against the run of play, Marseille struck first in the 22nd minute. Arda Güler lost possession deep in his own half, Mason Greenwood pounced and squared for Tim Weah, who coolly slotted past Thibaut Courtois to stun the home crowd.
Madrid hit back quickly. Just six minutes later, Rodrygo was clipped by Geoffrey Kondogbia in the box, and Mbappé buried the resulting penalty into the bottom corner to level the score.
Substitutes Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz added energy after the break, with Vinicius twice going close. But Madrid’s night turned complicated in the 71st minute when Carvajal lost his cool and headbutted Rulli during a tussle, earning a straight red card after a VAR review.
✌️🎯 BRACE! pic.twitter.com/WWGmGQKkyb
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 16, 2025
Despite the setback, Los Blancos found their winner. With just over a quarter of an hour left, Facundo Medina was penalized for handball inside the box. Mbappe stepped up again, firing to the right corner. Though Rulli guessed correctly and got a touch, the ball crept in to seal the Frenchman’s brace and Madrid’s victory.
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