Real Madrid 2-1 Marseille: Mbappé's penalties save Xabi Alonso's Champions League debut

Real Madrid debuted in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 with a narrow victory against Olympique de Marseille (2-1). Xabi Alonso's team took advantage of two penalties sanctioned by Bosnian Irfan Peljto to add their first three points in the league phase.

Kylian Mbappé scored both penalties, the second very controversial due to a dubious handball by Argentinian Facundo Medina. The 'merengues' were superior, but conceded many opportunities to Marseille and ended up suffering a lot after the expulsion of Dani Carvajal.

Despite everything, Xabi Alonso debuted with a victory in the Champions League and maintains the perfect step in 25/26. With many doubts about performance, yes, in addition to the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Marseille struck first, but Madrid reacted quickly

Madrid wanted to suffocate Marseille from minute 1 with high pressure. The inaccuracies in the back of the French team were many, but the whites lacked effectiveness and depth in the rival area.

Franco Mastantuono was very active on the right, while Rodrygo returned to the lineup in place of Vinicius Jr. However, Xabi Alonso had to adjust his lineup before five minutes of play, due to the injury of Alexander-Arnold.

The English international felt a twinge in the back of his left leg and immediately lay down on the grass. Dani Carvajal entered in his place, while Gerónimo Rulli began to become a figure with a one-on-one save against Mbappé.

Marseille warned with a shot from Timothy Weah that went slightly high, but in the 21st minute the American striker would have revenge, after an error by Arda Güler in the center of the field and a steal by Mason Greenwood. The Englishman caught the 'merengue' defense off guard and enabled the '22', who shot Courtois with a powerful right foot.

The visitors were at their best at the Bernabéu, until an childish entry by Kondogbia on Rodrygo inside the area allowed Mbappé to have a penalty. The Frenchman did not fail in the execution, although Rulli guessed the side. Thus, Roberto De Zerbi's team only lasted five minutes with the advantage.

The match became a give and take, with Mastantuono and Tchouaméni testing Rulli's reflexes. The former FC Barcelona striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubamenyang, also had a very clear one in the 38th minute, surpassing Militao in a divided ball that allowed him to go alone against Courtois. The Gabonese, however, finished to the side of the net.

A very dubious penalty avoided Real Madrid's puncture

The referee Irfan Peljto, during the Real Madrid-Marseille (2-1)

Beyond the frenetic pace in the last minutes of the first half, the 1-1 remained until halftime. Rulli and Courtois continued with work in the second half, the Argentinian deflecting a shot from Mbappé to the crossbar and the Belgian clearing another very dangerous shot from 'Auba'.

However, Real Madrid was losing freshness in the pressure and Xabi Alonso sent Vinicius and Brahim to the field in place of Rodrygo and Mastantuono. The whites returned to besiege the Marseille area, although without so much clarity, until Carvajal lost his head in the 71st minute.

The full-back hit Rulli when the 'merengues' had a corner in favor and the VAR warned the main Irfan Peljto of the aggression and the Bosnian, after reviewing the action on the monitor, expelled the Madrid captain in the 73rd minute.

When things looked worse for the locals, another penalty fell from the sky to save Xabi Alonso's debut in the Champions League. In the 78th minute, Peljto sanctioned a handball penalty by central defender Facundo Medina when trying to cut a low center from Vinicius.

The touch of the ball was completely involuntary, but the Bosnian referee considered that the Argentinian defender had his hand very detached from the torso, in an unnatural position. Mbappé took charge of kicking again and Rulli, this time, was much closer to stopping the penalty, but the power of the ball overcame his reflexes.

In 80 minutes, Real Madrid came back from a very tough match, when not, with controversial refereeing included, although the whites were superior and enjoyed many more opportunities to violate the rival goal. Marseille sold the defeat dearly, but leaves with empty hands from the Bernabéu and the feeling of having been harmed by a non-existent penalty.

On the second day, the French receive Ajax and Madrid visits Kairat, with the feared very long trip to Kazakhstan. Both teams play on Tuesday, September 30, one day before the expected Barça-PSG in Catalonia.

Match sheet: Real Madrid 2-1 Olympique de Marseille

• Real Madrid, 2: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold (Carvajal, min. 5), Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde; Güler (Asencio, min. 73), Rodrygo (Vinicius, min. 63), Mastantuono (Brahim, min. 63); Mbappé.
• O. Marseille, 1: Rulli; Pavard, Facundo Medina, Balerdi, Emerson; Højbjerg, Kondogbia (Vermeeren, min. 67); O'Riley (Paixao, min. 67), Greenwood, Weah; Aubameyang.
• Goals: 0-1, Timothy Weah (min. 22); 1-1, Kylian Mbappé (min. 28, p.); 2-1, Kylian Mbappé (min. 80, p.)
• Referee: Irfan Peljto (Bosnia). He cautioned Aurélien Tchouaméni and Éder Militao for Real Madrid. In Marseille, he warned Benjamin Pavard. He sanctioned a penalty by Kondogbia on Rodrygo in the first half. He expelled Dani Carvajal with a direct red card for assaulting Gerónimo Rulli, after being warned by the VAR. He sanctioned a handball penalty by Facundo Medina in the second half.
• Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
• Incidents: match corresponding to day 1 of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26