Epic clash at the Giuseppe Meazza: Madrid youngsters see off experienced Inter side

Real Madrid and Inter Milan squared off at the Guiseppe Meazza on Wednesday for their Matchday 1 clash of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League season. In what was a tightly contested game, Real Madrid took a narrow win by scoring the only goal of the game to leave Italy with 3 points. It was a game of fine opposites as the experienced Carlo Ancelotti fielded a young team while the younger Simone Inzaghi had an experienced bunch of players to prosecute the match. 

The Italian Champions set up in their title-winning 3-5-2 formation with the veteran striker, Edin Dzeko replacing the departed Romelu Lukaku upfront alongside Lautaro Martinez. New signing, Hakan Calhanoglu also took his place in an experienced midfield containing Brozovic and Perisic. Carlo Ancelotti deployed David Alaba in a left-back position for his Champions League debut for the Los Blancos while Federico Valverde replaced Toni Kroos in midfield and the young duo of Vinicius Junior and Lucas Vazquez flanked club talisman, Karim Benzema in the attacking department.

The game at the Giuseppe Meazza was tightly contested with either team enjoying equal spells on the ball, ending in possession statistics of 48% - 52% in favour of the hosts. Without a tiebreaker in sight, Inzaghi turned to an experienced bench of Joaquin Correa, Matias Vecino, Arturo Vidal, Federico Dimarco and new signing Denzel Dumfries for answers. Whilst Carlo Ancelotti brought on teenage new signing Eduardo Camavinga, Rodrygo and Marco Asensio. Ancelotti thus showed his experience at the other end as his substitutions were inspired, with Camavinga and Rodrygo combining in the 89th minute to give Real Madrid the lead and the win.

The Los Blancos will go back to Spain knowing that the next 3 games (against FC Sheriff and a doubleheader against Shakhtar Donetsk) are fully winnable. By the time Inter Milan would come visiting the Santiago Bernabeu on Matchday 5, Ancelotti and his youngsters could have wrapped up Round-of-16 qualification and perhaps a top spot on the table too if Inter Milan drop points before then. Inzaghi would hope to improve on Antonio Conte's group stage elimination last season whilst still putting up a defence of their Serie A title.