Kylian Mbappe struck twice from the penalty spot as 10-man Real Madrid battled to a hard-fought victory over Marseille in their Champions League opener.
Real were dealt an early setback when Trent Alexander-Arnold limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury just three minutes into the match.
Things worsened late in the game when his replacement, Dani Carvajal, was shown a red card with 18 minutes remaining after clashing with Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, appearing to move his head toward the Argentine in a heated exchange.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the 15-time European champions held firm and claimed all three points thanks to Mbappe’s composure from the spot.
The French forward coolly dispatched both penalties past Rulli, taking his tally to six goals in five appearances this season.
Marseille had drawn first blood in the 22nd minute when Timothy Weah rifled a powerful shot past Thibaut Courtois, capitalizing on a midfield error from Arda Guler, who was dispossessed by former Manchester United winger Mason Greenwood.
However, the visitors’ lead was short-lived. Just six minutes later, Mbappe converted his first penalty after Geoffrey Kondogbia brought down Rodrygo inside the box.
The Frenchman had already come close earlier in the match with an acrobatic bicycle kick.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang twice threatened to restore Marseille’s advantage, but saw one effort dragged wide and another parried away by Courtois.
Real’s resilience shone through even after going down to 10 men.
Their persistence paid off when Facundo Medina handled the ball in the area during a challenge on Vinicius Jr.
Mbappe stepped up again and, despite Rulli guessing the right way, the striker’s powerful strike proved unstoppable.
Real Madrid, who are aiming to reclaim the Champions League title after last season’s quarter-final exit to Arsenal, showed signs of determination under new manager Xabi Alonso.
The former midfield maestro will be hoping to improve on last year’s disappointing league phase finish, where Real ended 11th and had to navigate the play-offs to reach the knockouts.
The La Liga leaders now turn their attention to their next Group Stage clash, away to Kairat in Kazakhstan on 30 September.
