Official: Real Madrid’s lineup against Inter Milan!

Real Madrid are ready for another European night at the Santiago Bernabéu as José Mourinho’s men prepare to face Inter Milan in their opening Champions League fixture of the season. With several important players unavailable, the Portuguese coach has been forced to make some major decisions for this highly anticipated clash.

The expected Real Madrid starting XI features Thibaut Courtois in goal. The Belgian goalkeeper remains Mourinho’s undisputed first choice and will once again be expected to provide security against an Inter side boasting dangerous attacking players.

In defence, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella are expected to form the back four. Konaté and Huijsen will have the difficult task of controlling Inter’s attacking duo, while Dumfries and Cucurella could also play an important role going forward.

The biggest question for Mourinho has been in midfield. Real Madrid are dealing with several absences in this area, forcing the coach to rethink his usual system. Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham are expected to operate in the heart of midfield, giving Madrid a combination of physicality, intensity and technical quality.

Bellingham’s positioning will be particularly interesting. The England international could regularly push higher when Madrid have possession, while Valverde will be required to provide balance and protect the defence.

Further forward, Mourinho is expected to trust Brahim Díaz, Yan Diomandé and Vinicius Junior behind Kylian Mbappé.

Diomandé’s presence would undoubtedly be one of the biggest talking points of the evening. The young Ivory Coast international has been gradually earning Mourinho’s confidence and could now be handed a huge opportunity on the biggest European stage. His pace, ability to attack defenders and unpredictability could cause serious problems for Inter.

Vinicius Junior will start from his preferred left side and will once again be one of Madrid’s main attacking weapons. On the opposite side, Brahim’s mobility and technical ability could help Mourinho’s team create spaces between Inter’s defensive lines.

And leading the attack is Kylian Mbappé. The French superstar begins another Champions League campaign with one major objective: finally lifting the trophy with Real Madrid. His speed and finishing ability will be crucial against an Inter defence that is expected to remain compact.

Real Madrid expected XI vs Inter

It is a powerful but reshuffled Madrid side for what promises to be one of the biggest matches of the opening Champions League round. At the Bernabéu, Mourinho and his players know exactly what is expected of them: start their European campaign with a victory.

🚨🚨 OFFICIEL ! LE XI DU REAL MADRID POUR DÉMARRER SA CAMPAGNE DE LIGUE DES CHAMPIONS FACE À L’INTER MILAN !!!!!! 🤍⭐️

TOUJOURS PAS DE YAN DIOMANDÉ 🇨🇮 MALGRÉ L’ABSENCE DE GÜLER 🇹🇷 POUR SUSPENSION ! ❌

Brahim Diaz 🇲🇦 est là. ✅

Mourinho 🇵🇹 choisit Trent 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 au milieu avec toutes… pic.twitter.com/603WRvpGyd

— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) September 8, 2026