Real punish Inter errors, Haaland double lifts Man City

MADRID, Sept 8 : Real Madrid punished two costly Inter Milan mistakes to win their Champions League opener 2-1 on Tuesday, with Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde scoring and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois keeping the visitors at bay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Erling Haaland struck twice after halftime as Manchester City won 2-0 at Porto, extending coach Enzo Maresca's winning start following three successive Premier League victories.

Real Betis twice came from behind to beat Lille 3-2 in France, with defender Marc Bartra scoring twice before Troy Parrott grabbed the winner. Lille later had Ethan Mbappe sent off.

Serhou Guirassy's late double secured Borussia Dortmund a 3-2 home victory over Villarreal after the Spanish side had cancelled out Renato Veiga's own goal.

Earlier, Aston Villa held off Club Brugge to win 3-2 in Belgium, helped by two Pau Torres assists, while Razvan Marin's free kick earned AEK Athens a 1-0 home victory over LASK.

COURTOIS KEEPS INTER AT BAY

Real coach Jose Mourinho faced his former club at the stadium where he guided Inter to Champions League glory against Bayern Munich in 2010, but the visitors threatened to spoil his evening.

Courtois repeatedly came to Real's rescue against an Inter side who arguably had the better of the contest, controlling more than 64 per cent of possession but paying for two costly defensive errors. The Belgian made a string of saves throughout the match to help preserve the hosts' narrow victory.

Real went ahead when Mbappe pressured Yann Bisseck into losing possession and Brahim Diaz collected the loose ball before feeding the French striker who sent it beneath the goalkeeper.

Courtois then saved Hakan Calhanoglu's powerful free kick before Inter goalkeeper Martinez gifted Real