Curtis Jones gifts Mbappe a goal on nightmare Champions League debut for Inter Milan

Curtis Jones handed Kylian Mbappe his first Champions League goal of the campaign with a costly error on his own debut in the competition, as Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-0 at the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening.

The midfielder, who joined Inter from Liverpool in a £30m move this summer, attempted to play out from the back but his sloppy pass was intercepted by Mbappe. Defender Yann Bisseck failed to recover, missing his challenge entirely, and Mbappe skipped past him before hammering the ball home.

Jones was not the only Inter player to endure a difficult night. Goalkeeper Josep Martínez compounded the visitors’ misery with an error of his own, attempting a Cruyff turn in his own penalty area when closed down by Federico Valverde. The Uruguayan midfielder needed only to tap the ball into an empty net to make it 2-0. Both Martinez and Jones did partially redeem themselves — the goalkeeper produced a brilliant double save before half-time, while Jones rattled the crossbar with a powerful effort midway through the first half.

The mistake came just days after Jones had spoken warmly about Inter head coach Cristian Chivu, crediting him as a key reason for making the move to Italy. “There’s a reason I came here: the phone calls we had, how the team plays, his tactical ideas, and how he works every single day,” Jones said. “It’s the small things he says, things that might seem minor but end up having a massive impact. Plus, he has immense experience and played at the highest level himself.”

Jones also spoke about settling quickly into life at the club. “I just feel at home with the lads. Since the first day, they’ve been unbelievable and so I can just be myself. Of course I’ve got a point to prove but I know that if I’m just myself, the lads will like me, the staff and the fans as well.”

Inter return to Serie A action this weekend against Udinese before facing Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Their next Champions League fixture is against Club Brugge in mid-October.