All eyes were on one decision before kickoff, as Jose Mourinho had left everyone waiting to see how he would deal with Real Madrid’s midfield crisis against Inter Milan. The Portuguese coach refused to reveal his cards beforehand, but the moment of truth has finally arrived, bringing a surprise that was not far from the speculation leading into the match.
The surprise everyone had been waiting for appeared in Real Madrid’s starting lineup, with Mourinho making a major positional change to one of his key players in an attempt to deal with the midfield absences. The decision became official with the lineup announcement, revealing one of Real Madrid’s biggest surprises ahead of the Inter Milan clash.
Real Madrid announced its starting lineup for the opening league-phase Champions League match against Inter Milan, with the biggest surprise being Mourinho’s decision to start Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield alongside captain Federico Valverde to form the double pivot.
Mourinho made the decision with Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler unavailable through suspension, while Aurelien Tchouameni has only recently returned from injury, leaving the Portuguese coach with very limited midfield options. In the end, Mourinho settled the debate he had created before the match when he spoke about having several solutions without revealing any of them.
Trent’s move into midfield is a clear tactical surprise. The Englishman began his Real Madrid career as a right-back, but his previous experience in more advanced midfield roles made him a suitable option for Mourinho under these difficult circumstances. The Portuguese coach has therefore decided to make use of Trent’s passing and build-up ability rather than keep him in his usual position.
At right-back, Denzel Dumfries gets the start against his former club Inter Milan, while Marc Cucurella continues on the left. In central defence, Mourinho has selected Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen to protect goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with Antonio Rudiger once again starting on the bench.
There was another notable decision in attack, with Mourinho once again delaying Yan Diomande’s first start. Although Arda Guler’s suspension had appeared to open the door for the young Ivorian winger to make his first start for Real Madrid, the Portuguese coach opted for Brahim Diaz on the right flank.
Jude Bellingham continues in his usual No. 10 role, while Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior lead Real Madrid’s attack against Inter Milan, giving Mourinho an attacking lineup packed with players capable of making the difference.
Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Inter Milan is therefore: Thibaut Courtois in goal; Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella in defence; Trent Alexander-Arnold and Federico Valverde in midfield; Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham ahead of them; and Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior leading the attack according to Mourinho’s positional setup.
The lineup comes just days after Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Real Betis, a loss that prompted Mourinho to stress the need to return to winning ways quickly. That makes the Inter Milan clash particularly important for the Portuguese coach, who wants a strong Champions League start and a response to the recent domestic setback.
Real Madrid’s lineup ultimately reveals the nature of the crisis Mourinho faced before the match, while also confirming that the Portuguese coach was serious when he said he had more than one solution to compensate for the absences. After refusing to reveal his plan before the match, the decision is now clear: Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield alongside Valverde, with Dumfries taking over at right-back against his former club.