Sports

Mbappé Nets Winner as Real Beat Inter; Cherki Shines in City's Porto Rout Despite Pavard's Struggles

By OffsAIde

French internationals delivered contrasting performances in the opening round of Champions League fixtures, according to L'Équipe. Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive goal as Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-1, Rayan Cherki impressed despite an uneven display in Manchester City's 2-0 win at Porto, and Benjamin Pavard struggled through a difficult evening.

At the Santiago Bernabéu, Inter's Marcus Thuram was denied by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the third minute before Mbappé capitalised to open the scoring for Real in the 14th minute. With Real largely defending for long spells, Mbappé made the most of few opportunities, firing four shots on target throughout the match. The strike brought his Champions League tally to 71 goals in 99 appearances, tying him with Raúl for the fifth-highest total in competition history. For Real specifically, he now has 23 goals in 26 matches, with additional chances thwarted by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez.

Pavard, playing just his second match of the season, made a well-timed tackle on Vinicius Jr. in the 29th minute but otherwise struggled to contain Real's pace throughout the contest. Thuram had another effort blocked in the 44th minute, and a mishit clearance in first-half stoppage time led to a scramble that required a double save to keep Inter level. Pavard was substituted at halftime.

Andy Diouf filled in effectively as an unconventional right wing-back, contributing significantly to Inter's play before the break. Ibrahima Konaté, positioned to the right of Dean Huijsen in central defence, played a controlled game, completing 81.3 percent of his passes while managing one off-target attempt as Lautaro Martinez looked to create space. Thuram, making his first start of the season, misfired again in the 52nd minute before being replaced by Ange-Yoan Bonny in the 60th minute.

Meanwhile in Porto, Cherki showed moments of brilliance mixed with inconsistency during Manchester City's victory. He threaded through balls to Phil Foden in the 23rd and 29th minutes, then set up Enzo Fernández, who assisted Erling Haaland for the opening goal in the 47th minute. Cherki, who appeared frustrated at times, was substituted for Elliot Anderson in the 62nd minute.