Real Madrid kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 3-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu on September 17. Despite a challenging match, the defending European champions secured the win with goals from Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger, and a late strike by Endrick.

The game started with Stuttgart having the upper hand. Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was instrumental in keeping the score level, making several crucial saves. Stuttgart's Deniz Undav came close to scoring in the 28th minute with a shot that hit the crossbar. Real Madrid also had a penalty claim just before halftime when Rüdiger was fouled in the box, but the referee ruled it out, believing Rüdiger had gone down too easily.

The second half saw Real Madrid turn the game around. Aurelien Tchouaméni's pass to Rodrygo set up Mbappé for a close-range goal, giving Madrid the lead. Stuttgart equalized shortly after with a header from Undav. However, Real Madrid regained their lead with a header from Rüdiger. In stoppage time, Endrick scored, making him the youngest player to score in the Champions League for Real Madrid and sealing the 3-1 victory.

This season introduces a new UCL format with 36 teams competing in a league phase, replacing the traditional group stage. Each team will play eight matches against different opponents, with the top eight advancing directly to the knockout stages. Teams finishing 9th to 24th will enter a knockout play-off phase for the remaining eight spots in the round of 16. The knockout stages will begin in February, with the final scheduled for May 31, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

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