The current holder of the Champions Cup has successfully started the defense of its title.
Madrid Real" defeated Stuttgart" at home in the match of the first round of the main stage of the Champions Leagueseason 2024/25. The match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid ended with a score of 3:1.
The first half passed without goals, with the German club repeatedly threatening the goal of the “creamy ones” and only the reliable play of Thibaut Courtois allowed the hosts not to concede.
At the very beginning of the second half of the match, Kylian Mbappe put the Madrid team ahead. The “Swabs” bounced back in the 68th minute thanks to an accurate strike by Deniz Undava.
However, at the end of the game, Carlo Ancelotti's men still managed to snatch victory. Antonio Rüdiger scored in the 83rd minute. And in stoppage time, in the 90+5th minute, 18-year-old Endrik set the final score.
Ukrainian goalkeeper of the “Blancos” Andriy Lunin spent the entire match on the bench. This season, he has not yet entered the field in official matches.
Let's add that Lunin recently extended his contract with the “Royal Club” until the summer of 2030.
Review of the match “Real” Madrid – “Stuttgart”
Thus, the Madrid club successfully began defending its title as the current holder of the Champions Cup. In the final of the last edition of the tournament, Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
In the second round, Real Madrid will play Lille away on October 2, and Stuttgart will host Sparta Prague the day before.
In the updated Champions League format, each team will play eight matches with different opponents in the main round (four at home and four away). All tournament participants received two opponents from four different baskets.
The eight best teams in the main stage of the Champions League will reach the 1/8 finals. The clubs that take places from 9th to 24th in the overall standings will play paired play-off matches for a place in the 1/8 finals. The rest will finish their performance in European competitions.