Inter President Beppe Marotta hails ‘exemplary’ Lautaro Martinez for resisting Barcelona interest, salutes Denzel Dumfries and Jose Mourinho with ‘strongest club’ Real Madrid.
It kicks off at the Bernabeu in Madrid at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.
This is the opening Champions League game of the season for these clubs, but also a special reunion between Cristian Chivu and Jose Mourinho, who won the 2010 Treble together at Inter.
Inter begin Champions League campaign
“I said our obligation is to give our all, including in clashes like this evening, where motivation is important. We also have the right to dream, and sometimes dreams come true, so you need to keep dreaming,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.
Denzel Dumfries also meets his former teammates, but Lautaro Martinez was not sold despite the confirmed approach from Barcelona this summer.
“Lautaro’s behaviour was exemplary, he showed a great sense of belonging, avoided any kind of negotiation with Barcelona. The two clubs had a discussion, but there were simply no conditions to even open a negotiation, as Lautaro is the present and future of this club. If we want to win, we need him too.
“Dumfries looked emotional to meet his old teammates, staff and directors, but I’m happy for him as he’s playing for a great side and has the opportunity to win more trophies. Mourinho had an unforgettable experience at Inter with the Treble, which remains in the history of this club, and informs the present and future of this side.”
Real Madrid have huge problems, as Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga are suspended, with Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio and Rodrygo injured, plus Aurelien Tchouameni, Endrick and Thiago Pitarch not fully fit either.
Trent Alexander-Arnold therefore appears to be in midfield for an unusual 4-2-3-1 formation.
“We’ve got to make the most of the situation, but the Real Madrid XI tonight would still be first choices at most teams, so the level is still higher than ours. Where we might be lacking in terms of quality and technique, we need to make up with determination and motivation.”
Curtis Jones gets his first start, but with Federico Dimarco and Djed Spence injured, Carlos Augusto and Andy Diouf take the wings.
Somewhat surprisingly, Benjamin Pavard and Yann Bisseck both start in defence, with Manuel Akanji and John Stones benched.
“Real Madrid have for some time been the strongest club in the world, by which I mean both their sporting results and the revenue they can boast. The Bernabeu renovations further boosted their revenue, and clearly it is a gap for Italian football, so we’ve got to be creative,” added Marotta.
“Off the field, there have also been improvements in the Inter revenue, and we have the best in Italy when it comes to revenue, but are missing the crucial instrument of having our own stadium.”
Inter have lost their last four meetings with Real Madrid, not managing a victory since 1998.
