Haaland, Mbappé and Valverde inspire UCL victories as Manchester City beat Porto 2-0 and Real Madrid edge Inter Milan 2-1

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde delivered decisive performances on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, as Manchester City defeated Porto 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão and Real Madrid overcame Inter Milan 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu to begin their Champions League campaigns with victories.

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Haaland was the standout performer in Portugal, scoring twice after half-time to give new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca an impressive European start.

The Norwegian broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval, rising to meet Enzo Fernández’s lofted cross and heading the ball into the top corner. He then sealed the victory in stoppage time, finishing from Rayan Aït-Nouri’s cut-back.

The brace took Haaland to 167 goals for Manchester City in just 203 appearances. His Champions League record also reached 59 goals in 59 appearances, underlining the extraordinary consistency he has brought to Europe’s elite competition.

City had controlled much of the contest before finding the breakthrough. The visitors finished with 64 per cent possession and 10 shots on target, while Porto failed to register a single effort on target.

Maresca acknowledged afterwards that City could have scored more but was satisfied with the result.

“I think we could have scored more goals, especially in the first half but overall I think we deserved to win the game,” Maresca said.

The victory extended Maresca’s perfect competitive start with City. The former Chelsea manager had already guided the club to three successive Premier League victories before the trip to Portugal, making the Champions League result another encouraging early sign under his leadership.

At the Bernabéu, Mbappé and Valverde gave José Mourinho’s Real Madrid a two-goal advantage inside the opening 23 minutes before Carlos Augusto reduced Inter’s deficit late in the second half.

Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute after Yann Bisseck lost possession under pressure. Brahim Díaz collected the loose ball and supplied Mbappé, who finished beneath Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez.

Valverde doubled the advantage nine minutes later after Martínez was caught attempting to play out from his area. The Real Madrid midfielder capitalised on the mistake to put the hosts firmly in control.

Inter refused to fade away, however. Carlos Augusto converted Lautaro Martínez’s cross in the 77th minute to give the Italian side renewed hope.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois then produced a series of important saves to protect the narrow advantage as Inter pushed for an equaliser.

Valverde was quick to acknowledge the goalkeeper’s contribution after the match.

“I think we played a great first half but I don’t deserve the MVP award today, Courtois deserved it because he saved us with an extraordinary performance,” Valverde told Movistar Plus.

The match was particularly meaningful for Mourinho, who was facing his former club in his first Champions League match since returning for a second spell at Real Madrid. Mourinho famously guided Inter to Champions League glory in 2010 before leaving the Italian club.

The Portuguese manager admitted the contest became more open than he would have preferred.

“It was a crazy game, and I don’t like that kind of madness,” Mourinho said, while praising Courtois for his decisive display.

Real Madrid’s official match report noted that the hosts created several further opportunities after going 2-0 ahead, but Inter goalkeeper Martínez repeatedly kept his side in contention before Augusto’s late goal changed the mood around the Bernabéu.

The two victories provided a powerful opening statement from two of Europe’s leading clubs as the revamped Champions League league phase began.

For City, Haaland’s double offered an early reminder of the striker’s formidable European pedigree.

For Madrid, Mbappé and Valverde supplied the goals, while Courtois provided the defensive foundation needed to withstand Inter’s late pressure.

Both clubs therefore leave the opening round with three points, although the nature of their victories was markedly different.

City eventually controlled Porto through possession and sustained pressure, while Madrid had to survive an increasingly tense finish after surrendering part of its early advantage.

The early results also underline the demands of the expanded Champions League format, in which every league-phase point can prove valuable in determining who advances directly to the knockout stages.

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For Haaland, Mbappé and Valverde, the opening night offered an equally significant personal boost. Each player found the decisive moments when their teams needed them most, giving their clubs a strong platform for the European campaign ahead