Three Key Warnings from Real Madrid's 2-1 Win over Inter: Missed Chances, Defensive Issues and Courtois' Rescue

On Wednesday morning, Real Madrid narrowly defeated Inter Milan 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Although the final result brought relief, captain Federico Valverde said after the match: “We suffered a lot. This should not have happened, especially at home.” The start of the match was quite favorable for Real Madrid, as goals from Kylian Mbappe and Valverde in the 23rd minute gave them a 2-0 lead. However, both goals came from serious mistakes by Inter. Despite the seemingly comfortable scoreline, the true trend of the match became increasingly clear: Real Madrid lacked efficiency in front of goal, their defense looked unstable, and their midfield performance fluctuated. After Inter pulled one goal back late in the game, the situation quickly shifted and the hosts had to fight hard to protect the hard-earned victory.

Real Madrid's attack falls into another scoring drought

In this match, Real Madrid's forward line disappointed fans, and this was not the first time such a problem had appeared. Last weekend, Real Madrid created seven clear chances in La Liga but failed to score, eventually suffering an unexpected defeat against Real Betis. Against Inter, Real Madrid created eight major scoring opportunities but scored only two goals, and both goals also came from opponent mistakes.

Mbappe missed two excellent chances during the match, Bellingham also failed to capitalize on a good opportunity, and Diaz missed from close range, showing his frustration afterward. The problems Real Madrid had last season remain unresolved, with insufficient midfield creativity limiting attacking output. The club has already shown signs of a struggling attack early in the campaign and has lost three La Liga points because of it. Without Courtois' outstanding performance in goal, even the Champions League victory could have slipped away.

Courtois rescues an underperforming Real Madrid defense

When Real Madrid need a crucial savior, Courtois often steps up. Against Inter, he made seven saves and repeatedly denied the visitors' attacks, with Inter finally ending his clean sheet in the 77th minute. Throughout the match, Real Madrid's defense looked unstable, and the concession of a goal had been coming. Mourinho's tactical setup exposed defensive weaknesses: Dumfries was beaten by Carlos Augusto, leading to Inter's goal; Cucurella needed defensive support from Vinicius. More concerningly, Real Madrid looked passive without the ball, with players often standing still and applying limited pressing, allowing Inter significant space to build attacks.

Although the problems exposed in this match did not lead to defeat, if Real Madrid cannot find a better balance between attack and defense, they will pay a heavy price against stronger opponents in the future.

Where does Arnold go from here?

Because Camavinga, Guler and Silva were suspended, Mourinho chose a double-pivot formation, pairing Arnold with Valverde in midfield to fill the starting vacancy. It was Arnold's second start of the season. After originally losing the right-back battle to Dumfries, this opportunity was valuable. However, his performance was not particularly impressive, as he lost track of opponents several times defensively, and his adaptation when dropping back into his own penalty area was questioned. Inter's only goal exposed this issue.

Although Arnold was composed in possession and created two chances, one of which Mbappe could have easily converted, this performance was clearly not enough to improve his standing in Mourinho's eyes. Going forward, Arnold needs to consider how to improve his performances and earn more starting opportunities. If he cannot turn his form around, he may leave the Bernabeu before the end of the season.

Overall, the various problems Real Madrid exposed in this match deserve attention. Finding solutions during the upcoming season will be a major challenge for Mourinho. With competition in La Liga becoming increasingly intense, Real Madrid must quickly adjust their form to remain competitive in future matches.