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Michael Oliver to referee Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter Milan

English referee Michael Oliver has been appointed to take charge of Real Madrid's Champions League group-stage opener against Inter Milan at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, with Los Blancos looking to recover from a league defeat to Real Betis.

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Michael Oliver to referee Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter Milan
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English referee Michael Oliver will take charge of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan at the Bernabéu on Tuesday, UEFA have confirmed. The fixture marks the first matchday of the competition and represents both clubs’ European debut this season.

It will be the sixth time Oliver has officiated a Real Madrid match in European competition, a run stretching back to the 2017/18 season. Across those five previous assignments, Madrid’s record stands at three wins and two defeats — a statistic that has attracted attention in Spain and fed into a wider conversation about the club’s relationship with match officials.

The appointment arrives at a sensitive moment for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Real Madrid head into Tuesday’s tie on the back of a damaging domestic defeat to Real Betis last Friday, making the European opener feel considerably more loaded than a routine group-stage fixture might otherwise warrant.

Inter Milan, meanwhile, arrive in the Spanish capital in strong early-season form, giving Madrid’s coaching staff additional cause to study the visitors carefully ahead of kick-off.

Kick-off at the Bernabéu is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. CEST.

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