Real Madrid 3-1 Stuttgart (17 Sep, 2024) Game Analysis - ESPN (UK)

Revised: September 17, 2024, at 10:59 PM

Real Madrid kicked off their defense of the Champions League title with a tough 3-1 victory at home against Stuttgart on Tuesday. The win was secured by late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick, who overcame Deniz Undav's equalizer.

Stuttgart likely performed better in front of a full crowd at Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois making several important saves to stop attempts from the German team.

In the opening minute of the second half, Madrid took the lead with a swift counter-attack. Rodrygo delivered a cross to Kylian Mbappe, who finished from close range.

Stuttgart scored an equalizing goal with Undav's header in the 68th minute. However, Madrid's substitute Luka Modric took a corner kick, which found Rudiger in the six-yard area, and he headed the ball past the goalkeeper in the 83rd minute.

Eighteen-year-old Endrick struck a fierce shot from a distance in the dying moments of the game, clinching a narrow victory for the home team.

"Anyone who pays close attention to Stuttgart knows they're a team that plays aggressively and finds the back of the net often, but they can also be vulnerable at times. I'm really pleased that we came away with a victory," said Courtois, who was named player of the match, in an interview with Movistar Plus. "They put a lot of pressure on us at the start, and we struggled at times, partly because of our own errors. However, we improved as the match went on and had several chances to score."

"I'm pleased with how we reacted after they scored the equalizer because securing a win is crucial in this new format of the Champions League."

Manager Carlo Ancelotti found himself in a tricky situation in defense, as David Alaba was still healing from an ACL injury he suffered last season and Éder Militão was dealing with an ongoing leg muscle issue. To address this, he positioned full-back Dani Carvajal as a center-back. Meanwhile, Stuttgart took advantage of this arrangement, launching several attacks down the right flank of Madrid's defense and coming close to scoring multiple times.

Carvajal and substitute fullback Lucas Vázquez, both standing at 1.73 meters, became prime targets for Stuttgart, frequently losing their positions and allowing the German team several opportunities in the first half.

An exceptional Courtois made stunning saves against shots from Jamie Leweling, Enzo Millot, and Angelo Stiller in the opening 20 minutes.

Real attempted to respond with efforts from Mbappe, Vinícius Júnior, and Rodrygo, but they all squandered promising opportunities. It was Stuttgart, however, who nearly found the net during a swift counter-attack in the 29th minute. Undav's shot was deflected onto the crossbar by Carvajal.

Ancelotti substituted Militao into the game at the start of the second half, shifting Carvajal back to his customary fullback role to address his team's problems. Just a minute after the break, a defensive error by Stuttgart's Maximilian Mittelstädt allowed Real to score the first goal.

Aurélien Tchouaméni launched a long pass to Rodrygo along the right sideline. Mittelstadt couldn’t intercept it, allowing the Brazilian forward to receive the ball smoothly without any defenders around. He then delivered a cross to Mbappe, who easily tapped it into the open net from the far post.

Real Madrid continued to apply the pressure, with Rodrygo failing to convert a few opportunities and Vinicius Jr striking the crossbar from just outside the box in the 59th minute.

Stuttgart remained a threat during counterattacks, and Courtois had to pull off a few saves against shots from Leweling. Eventually, Undav scored with a header from a corner, bringing the game to a tie.

Stuttgart continued to pose problems for a disorganized Madrid defense, but the Spanish team regained the advantage with a goal from Rudiger.

In the 93rd minute, Vinicius Jr had a golden opportunity to score when he was one-on-one with Stuttgart's goalkeeper, Alexander Nuebel, but he missed. Just two minutes later, Endrick unleashed a powerful shot from long distance that found the back of the net.