Real Madrid could describe the draw for their 57th participation in the Champions League as benevolent. The Whites have avoided several favorites, and only the match against Arsenal and perhaps against Inter Milan seems like those that, a priori, Jose Mourinho’s team will find more difficult or even start at a disadvantage. They should not have the same problems as last season to get into the top 8 and advance directly to the round of 16. Interestingly, Mourinho’s Benfica sent Álvaro Arbeloa’s team to the round of 32. And both teams ended up crossing paths.
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The draw brought emotional matches for Mourinho. Real Madrid’s debut will be at the Bernabéu against Inter Milan. The Portuguese coach spent two seasons in Italy, right after his first stint at Chelsea. After a first season of laying the foundations, in the 2009-10 campaign he managed to lift the Champions League at the Bernabéu. The coach explained in his Netflix documentary how he cried after that match for not returning with the team to celebrate. “If I had done it, I would have stayed,” he said. He had already committed to Real Madrid.
Afterwards, they will face Arsenal in London. The European runner-up and the Whites’ executioner in the 2024-25 season has been one of the most mentioned teams in the White market in recent years. First, because of Zubimendi and the interest Madrid showed two transfer windows ago; then, because of the prolonged renewal of Vinícius. Mikel Arteta’s team was waiting.
After this complicated start, everything softens for Madrid. They will successively host PSV, Leipzig (a special match for Yan Diomande, who played last season before signing for Madrid for 130 million) and Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub (LASK) from Austria.
Away from the Bernabéu, they will have to play in Rome, another special match for Mourinho, since in 2022 he made the Italian capital’s club champion of the Conference League. They will also have to play against Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens. The match against the Ukrainians will be very special, as they will play their home games at Stamford Bridge, the most special stadium in Mourinho’s career.
