The 3 brightest stars in Real Madrid’s hard-fought victory

Real Madrid defeated VfB Stuttgart in their Champions League opener in a rather difficult match.

After defeating Real Sociedad in the 5th round of La Liga, coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team faced off against the Bundesliga side Stuttgart without their best squad. Eder Militao could not start, forcing the Italian coach to use Dani Carvajal as a center-back, while Lucas Vazquez played at right-back.

However, the reigning champions welcomed the return of key midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni. These two, along with Federico Valverde, formed a midfield tasked with both supporting the defense and supplying the ball to the three forwards, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo.

This was the optimal arrangement that coach Ancelotti could employ under the current circumstances, but this approach almost came at a cost. The unbalanced midfield caused Real Madrid several troubles in the first half, and it was thanks to the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois that they did not concede early.

Right at the start of the second half, Real made a tactical substitution. Militao came on for Vazquez to play center-back, moving Carvajal back to the right flank. The home team then played better and took the lead through a goal by Mbappe in the 46th minute.

Stuttgart did not lose heart and equalized in the 68th minute, but two goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick secured a 3-1 victory for the reigning champions. Although it was a hard-fought win, it marked a solid start to their title defense campaign.

Here are the three brightest stars in Real Madrid’s recent match:

Thibaut Courtois

As mentioned above, without Courtois’ brilliance, Los Blancos would have conceded at least once in the first half. Post-match statistics show the Belgian goalkeeper made four crucial saves in the first 45 minutes. The only goal Real conceded was not Courtois’ fault.

Rodrygo

Rodrygo was Real Madrid’s standout player in the first half with his impressive dribbling ability. At the start of the second half, the Brazilian international brilliantly beat the offside trap and assisted Mbappe for the opening goal. Rodrygo always remains crucial, quietly but effectively.

Antonio Rudiger

Real’s defense could hold firm in the first half largely thanks to Rudiger. The German international played a solid game and was a reliable pillar for his teammates. However, his biggest contribution came in the form of a goal that put Real ahead 2-1 late in the match.