Arjun Menon
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Real Madrid and Inter are set to meet at the Estadio Bernabéu on 8 September 2026 (19:00 UTC) in the opening round of the Champions League. It is a mouth-watering opener between two of European football’s most decorated clubs, with both sides keen to lay down an early marker in the group stage. Real Madrid will be looking to impose themselves on home soil, while Inter arrive with the firepower of Lautaro Martínez and Francesco Pio Esposito up front. For a full look at other fixtures across the competition, you can browse the latest football matches.
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup
Real Madrid head into this fixture with a number of players unavailable, including Endrick, Thiago Pitarch, Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Éder Militao, Rodrygo, and Djed Spence, all of whom will not feature. The absences across multiple positions mean the head coach is expected to rely heavily on the experienced core of Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, and Kylian Mbappé to provide the creative and attacking impetus in what is likely to be a compact, structured setup.
| Jersey # | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thibaut Courtois |
| 24 | Denzel Dumfries |
| 16 | Ibrahima Konaté |
| 4 | Dean Huijsen |
| 17 | Marc Cucurella |
| 8 | Federico Valverde |
| 14 | Aurélien Tchouaméni |
| 21 | Brahim Díaz |
| 5 | Jude Bellingham |
| 7 | Vinícius Júnior |
| 10 | Kylian Mbappé |
- Will not play: Endrick, Thiago Pitarch, Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy, Éder Militao, Rodrygo, Djed Spence
- Questionable: None reported.
Inter Predicted Lineup
Inter travel to Madrid with a clean bill of health, with no reported absences or injury concerns ahead of the tie. The manager is expected to field a settled side, with Nicolò Barella anchoring the midfield alongside Piotr Zielinski and Petar Sucic, while Lautaro Martínez and Francesco Pio Esposito are likely to lead the line.
| Jersey # | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Josep Martínez |
| 31 | Yann Aurel Bisseck |
| 25 | Manuel Akanji |
| 95 | Alessandro Bastoni |
| 32 | Federico Dimarco |
| 17 | Andy Diouf |
| 23 | Nicolò Barella |
| 7 | Piotr Zielinski |
| 8 | Petar Sucic |
| 94 | Francesco Pio Esposito |
| 10 | Lautaro Martínez |
- Will not play: None reported.
- Questionable: None reported.