Federico Valverde marked his 80th UEFA Champions League appearance by scoring for Real Madrid against Inter Milan, extending a remarkable recent run in front of goal.
The Uruguay midfielder struck in the 23rd minute of the opening matchday of the league phase after taking advantage of a serious mistake by Inter Milan goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
According to data from Opta, Valverde has now scored four goals in his past five Champions League matches. That is one more than he managed across his first 75 appearances in the competition, during which he scored three times.
His latest goal doubled Real Madrid’s advantage and put the Spanish side 2-0 ahead. Kylian Mbappe had opened the scoring in the 14th minute, giving the hosts an early lead before Valverde added a second nine minutes later.
The goal was a notable moment in Valverde’s European career, coming in the midfielder’s 80th appearance in the Champions League. While his overall tally in the competition remains modest compared with his recent output, the Opta figures underline how significantly his scoring rate has changed over his last five matches.
Valverde’s goal also gave Real Madrid control of the contest during the opening half of the league-phase fixture. Inter Milan’s defensive situation worsened when the error from Martinez allowed the midfielder to find the net, leaving the visitors two goals behind before half-time.
The match is being covered in a live text commentary by LiveResult, with the second half already under way.
Real Madrid’s two-goal advantage was established inside the opening 23 minutes, first through Mbappe and then through Valverde. For the Uruguay international, the goal continued a sequence which has seen him score more Champions League goals in his most recent five matches than in the 75 appearances that came before them.
The fixture therefore combined a personal landmark for Valverde with a striking statistical achievement. His 80th Champions League appearance arrived as he helped Real Madrid build a commanding early position against Inter Milan, while his latest goal further highlighted the contrast between his initial record in the competition and his recent form.
Opta’s figures show that Valverde’s first 75 Champions League matches produced three goals in total. The four goals he has scored in his last five appearances have now taken his recent tally beyond that earlier total, making the midfielder’s latest run the most productive spell of his Champions League career by that measure.