Real Madrid started their Champions League title defence with a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Stuttgart on Tuesday, with late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick guiding them to victory. (More Football News)
Last season's Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart were arguably the better side for long periods at a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium, threatening a huge upset of the 15-time Europꩲean champions.
Madrid goa🌳lkeeper Thibꦜaut Courtois made a string of critical saves to keep Madrid level, keeping out Jamie Leweling and Angelo Stiller before half-time.
Dani Carvajal also diverted a Deniz Undav shot against his own crossbar as Los Blancos rod🔯e their luck, but Kylian Mbappe drew first blood shortly after the restart, finishing from close range after Ro🦩drygo led a quick counterattack.
Stuttgart refused to go away, though, and they lookeꦍd li🍌ke clinching a famous result when Undav equalised in the 68th minute, heading Leweling's cross home when totally unmarked at the far post.
However,𒁃 yet another Madrid late show💦 in Europe saw them snatch all three points, Rudiger heading Luka Modric's corner home in the 83rd minute.
Carlo Ancelotti's side then made sure of the result in stoppa🅘ge time, Endrick catching Alexander Nubel out from range to sc✱ore his first Champions League goal.
Data Debrief: Blancos draw on blend of youth and experience
Two players at opposite ends of the age spectrum h🌠elped 🏅Madrid get over the line after an energetic Stuttgart side threatened to make major headlines at the Bernabeu.
Modric cam♏⛎e off the bench with Los Blancos toiling at 1-1, quickly teeing up Rudiger's go-ahead goal with an expertly taken corner-kick.
At the age of 39 years and eight days, he is the third-oldest player to record an assist in the Champions League, after Ryan Giggs (39 years, 363 days in 2013 for Manchester United versus Bayer Leverkusen) and Amadeo Carboni (3ꦐ9 years, 176 days in 2004 for Valencia against Werder Bremen).
Endrick, meanwhile, became the youngest South American to net on his Champions League debut, at the age♌ of 18 years and 58 days.
