Inter absolutely shot themselves in the foot on Tuesday, gifting Real Madrid two crucial early goals in their Champions League clash thanks to some mind-boggling errors from Curtis Jones and Josep Martinez. The Nerazzurri had actually started strong on Spanish soil, dominating possession and testing Thibaut Courtois several times, but man, they were punished at the first real opportunity. This game, kicking off at the Bernabeu in Madrid, quickly spiraled into a nightmare for Inter fans.
Curtis Jones’s Timid Debut Costs Inter Dearly
The first Real Madrid goal? A total gift, stemming from a defensive howler by Curtis Jones. He was making his first start for the club since that summer transfer from Liverpool, and you gotta say, it was not the debut he wanted. Jones’s misplaced pass was just plain awkward, leaving Yann Bisseck scrambling and unable to clear. Real Madrid took full advantage, of course. Ex-Milan midfielder Brahim Diaz threaded a perfect pass through to Kylian Mbappé, who managed to squirm the finish right under Martinez. Sky Sport Italia pundit Beppe Bergomi didn’t hold back, calling Jones “very timid and always makes the most predictable pass.” He even added, “He passes the ball and then stops, in my view he still doesn’t know where he’s meant to move.” Ouch. That’s a brutal assessment for a first start, but honestly, you can’t argue with the outcome.
Josep Martinez’s Six-Yard Box Nightmare
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, the second goal was a downright howler for Inter, courtesy of Josep Martinez himself. You will not believe this. Martinez, inside his own six-yard box, decided it was a good idea to try and dribble Federico Valverde. I mean, what are we even doing here? It was way too over-ambitious, and Valverde capitalized immediately, poking the ball into the empty net. Just like that, Real Madrid doubled their lead. Watching your goalie try to dribble out of danger like that, in that critical area, it’s just soul-crushing.
Giving up two goals like that, both from completely avoidable mistakes, has just put Inter in a massive hole. They were looking good, controlling the game, and then two individual errors blow everything up. You gotta wonder how they come back from that kind of self-inflicted damage at the Bernabeu.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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