In the 14th minute, a mistake by the Italian defense was enough for Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman did not forgive the opportunity and opened the scoring, changing the balance. Nine minutes later came the second blow. Valverde stole the ball from Martinez and made it 2-0, giving the Madrid team a valuable safety cushion.

The game, however, was not over. Inter hit the post in the 36th minute, while just before the break, Real Madrid responded with their own post, missing the opportunity to turn the derby into a walk.

In the second half, the pace remained high. The two goalkeepers had to intervene repeatedly, with Inter refusing to give up. Their persistence was rewarded in the 77th minute, when Lautaro created and Carlos Augusto scored to make it 2-1.

The final minutes took on the character of a siege. Inter sought an equalizer and in the 89th minute came within a breath of it, but Courtois raised his stature again against Mkhitaryan.

The final whistle found Real victorious and relieved. Inter perhaps deserved something more. In the Champions League, however, Real has learned an art that is difficult to teach for decades: to win even on nights when they are not superior.