Kylian Mbappé began his journey to win a European title by scoring for Real Madrid in his first Champions League game with the club.
He found the net just seconds into the second half after receiving a cross from Rodrygo, helping Madrid secure a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
“It was a great night,” Mbappé said. “It was a tough match, as they always are in the Champions League, but it was important to start with the win at home.”
In his celebration, Mbappé made a gesture that looked like he was blowing out candles and sending a kiss. Spanish media reported that this was to honor his mother’s 50th birthday.
His goal gave the defending champions Madrid a 1-0 lead, but Stuttgart equalized with a goal from Deniz Undav in the 68th minute.
Antonio Rüdiger then scored to put Madrid back in the lead in the 83rd minute, and substitute Endrick sealed the win deep into stoppage time.
This goal marked Mbappé’s 49th in the Champions League, placing him among the top 10 all-time scorers in the competition.
He has scored in three straight matches and has five goals in seven games for Madrid across all competitions. “I can do more,” Mbappé said. “I’m feeling better match after match.”
Madrid’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was named man of the match for his crucial saves that kept Stuttgart from taking advantage of their scoring chances.
Before his goal, Mbappé had been mostly quiet, with one of his best chances coming in the 25th minute when his low shot was saved after he entered the area. A few minutes later, he was open in the area, but a low cross from Federico Valverde was intercepted by a defender.
Madrid found it difficult to create significant scoring opportunities early in the game. Stuttgart was the more threatening team, with several one-on-one chances and an attempt that hit the crossbar.
