Real Madrid vs Inter Prediction & Preview - Champions League
The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase opens for Real Madrid and Inter on Tuesday 8 September 2026, when the two meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid at 20:00 BST. It is the first of eight league-phase games for each club, and Jose Mourinho's first Champions League match since returning to Real Madrid.
- Fixture: Real Madrid v Inter
- Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday one
- Date: Tuesday 8 September 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST
- Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
- UK TV: TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 5, streamed on HBO Max
What TV channel is Real Madrid v Inter on?
Real Madrid v Inter is live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 5 in the UK, with TNT Sports subscribers also able to stream it through HBO Max. Kick-off is 20:00 BST on Tuesday 8 September 2026.
You can follow the score live and make your calls on the Real Madrid v Inter match page.
Real Madrid's form: a first defeat under Mourinho
Real Madrid arrive on the back of their first loss of the season, a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on 4 September. Troy Parrott scored the winner in the 81st minute, Kylian Mbappe had a stoppage-time penalty saved by Alvaro Valles, and a late Real Madrid equaliser was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Before that, Mourinho's side had been scoring freely. They beat Malaga 4-0 on 30 August, Real Sociedad 4-1 on 26 August and won 2-1 at Espanyol on 22 August in LaLiga, after a pre-season that included a 3-0 win at Schalke. Three wins from four league games is a decent start. The Betis result is the one that lingers, and it came four days before this.
Mourinho played down the stakes on Monday, saying it is "not a knockout round or a group stage like the old days" but that "every point is important". He also called Inter coach Cristian Chivu, who played under him in Inter's 2010 treble side, "one of my own".
Inter's form: three from three in Serie A
Inter have won all three of their Serie A games this season, and the last of them was the most dramatic. On 5 September they trailed Napoli 2-0 after goals from Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund early in the second half, then won 3-2. Lautaro Martinez pulled one back, Marcus Thuram headed an equaliser with eight minutes left, and Martinez won it in stoppage time from an uncleared corner.
That followed a 1-0 win at Cagliari on 30 August and a 4-1 win over Monza on 22 August. Their pre-season was unbeaten too: a 2-1 win at Juventus, a 1-0 win over Real Betis and a 1-1 draw with AC Milan.
Chivu made two changes at half-time against Napoli, sending on Curtis Jones and Thuram, and both mattered. He was frustrated by the quick turnaround before this one, and said at his press conference that he won't confirm whether new signings Jones and John Stones start until the team is named.
Team news for Real Madrid v Inter
Real Madrid are missing seven players and have four more doubtful. Eder Militao (hamstring), Rodrygo (knee), Ferland Mendy (hamstring) and Raul Asencio (tibia) are injured, while Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva are all suspended. Aurelien Tchouameni hasn't played this season with a muscle problem, and Endrick (muscle), Marc Cucurella (calf) and Thiago Pitarch (knee) are also doubts.
That is three suspended midfielders and three injured defenders from one squad. Mourinho refused to discuss his midfield options when asked.
Inter's list is shorter. Federico Dimarco is out with a knee injury, and Djed Spence is still working back to fitness and unlikely to feature.
There are no previous meetings between these sides in the CalledItMate archive. Chivu himself raised the longer history: Inter have not won at the Bernabeu in six decades, and their last win over Real Madrid in any competition was in the 1998-99 season.
Real Madrid vs Inter prediction
Our Real Madrid vs Inter prediction for the UEFA Champions League opener on 8 September 2026 is an Inter win, 2-1, at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid have lost their last game and are without seven players, including three suspended midfielders and three injured defenders. Inter have won every Serie A match this season and have just shown against Napoli that they keep going when behind. Real Madrid scored ten goals in their three league wins, so they should score, but the missing defenders are the difference.
Our prediction: Real Madrid 1-2 Inter
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