10-Man
Real Madrid Fight Back to Stun Marseille in Historic Champions League Win

Madrid, 17 Sep (ONA) — A resilient, 10-man Real Madrid battled back to clinch
a dramatic 2-1 victory over Olympique de Marseille in their UEFA Champions
League opener, powered by a pair of Kylian Mbappé penalties.

The hard-fought win at the Santiago Bernabéu marked a historic
milestone, making Real Madrid the first club to achieve 200 victories in the
modern Champions League era since its rebranding in 1992. It also secured a
successful European debut for the club’s new coach, former midfield maestro
Xabi Alonso.

Marseille stunned the home crowd by taking an early lead through
American international Timothy Weah. The goal was set up by Mason Greenwood,
who dispossessed Madrid’s Arda Güler near midfield to launch the attack.

Madrid found its equalizer in the 29th minute when Mbappé coolly
converted his first penalty kick. The match’s momentum shifted again when
Madrid captain Dani Carvajal received a red card in the 72nd minute, forcing
his team to play a man down.

Undeterred, Madrid pressed on and was awarded a second penalty
in the 81st minute, which Mbappé once again dispatched with precision to seal
the comeback win.

In a concerning moment for Madrid, summer signing Trent
Alexander-Arnold’s Champions League debut for the club lasted a mere five
minutes before he was substituted for Carvajal with an apparent muscle injury.

— Ends/Khalid