Federico Valverde has admitted that Real Madrid did not carry out Jose Mourinho’s tactical plan during their Champions League win against Inter. Although they picked up all three points at the Bernabeu, the Uruguay international was sharply critical of his side’s display in the second half after they allowed their Italian opponents back into the game.

Real Madrid survived a thriller to beat Inter 2-1 and begin their European campaign with an important victory, but it was anything but comfortable. Kylian Mbappe put them ahead early, finishing clinically to register his 71st goal in the Champions League.

The home side soon went 2-0 up when club captain Valverde took full advantage of a dreadful mistake by Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. But after the break, the hosts lost control of the contest and allowed the Serie A side to pile on the pressure.

Carlos Augusto eventually scored for the visitors, setting up a nervy finish at the Bernabeu. Thibaut Courtois, playing his 100th match in the competition, had to produce a number of vital saves to make sure Mourinho’s team held on for the victory.

Even though Madrid collected maximum points against Mourinho’s former club, Valverde was not fully pleased with the way the team handled the match. The midfielder said the players directly failed to do what their manager had asked at half-time.

“Mourinho told us very clearly to keep the ball more, especially in their half, and to play more calmly,” Valverde said after the final whistle. “We did not do that.”

The 28-year-old also called on his team-mates to set higher standards for themselves from here on. Looking back at the drop in intensity, he said: “We have to be self-critical. It’s true that we won and it’s important to start with a win, but we as players need to realise that we put in a poor second half and did not play well.”

Although Madrid’s second-half showing was far from convincing, the evening still belonged in large part to Mbappe. The France captain’s goal took him level with Real Madrid legend Raul on 71 goals in Europe’s top club competition.

Notably, the 27-year-old reached that mark in only 99 appearances, significantly fewer than Raul’s 142 games. He is now joint-fifth in the all-time scoring list, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.

That landmark strike laid the platform for Madrid’s win, even if the team found it difficult to sustain their control. Inter, on the other hand, will feel unfortunate to come away with nothing after Curtis Jones hit the woodwork and Courtois was tested repeatedly.

Attention now turns back to La Liga for Mourinho and his coaching staff, who are likely to treat the uncomfortable second half as an important lesson ahead of a quick return to domestic competition. Real Madrid next face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, where they will aim to produce a more complete performance over the full 90 minutes.

Inter, meanwhile, need to regroup and sort out their defensive mistakes before switching back to Serie A. The Italian champions next take on Udinese in a difficult fixture, where they will hope to respond positively and build momentum again.