Madrid defeats Stuttgart 3-1, with Rudiger and Endrick scoring for the holders in a tense victory.
In a thrilling Champions League opener at the sold-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Real Madrid displayed a late show to secure a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart. The game was marked by several key moments and near-misses, with no advertisements disrupting the action.
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for Real Madrid shortly after the restart, capitalising on a defensive error. Stuttgart responded bravely and equalised through Deniz Undav in the 68th minute, heading a Jamie Leweling cross home.
However, the tide turned in the favour of Real Madrid in the dying minutes of the game. Luka Modric, at 39 years and 8 days, provided the assist for Antonio Rudiger's winning goal in the 83rd minute, making him the third-oldest player to record an assist in the Champions League.
The game remained energetic even after Real Madrid secured the victory. Endrick, at 18 years and 58 days, became the youngest South American to net on his Champions League debut, scoring his first goal for the club.
Despite the exciting action, the precise records about the third-oldest South American to record an assist (if attributed to Modric, it would be incorrect location-wise) and the youngest South American to score a goal (which might refer to Amadeo Carboni) cannot be confirmed or detailed from the search information provided. For accurate records regarding South American players’ age-related achievements in the Champions League, highly specific databases or official UEFA records would be required.
Stuttgart threatened a huge upset of the 15-time European champions, but Real Madrid's experience and late-game prowess shone through. Dani Carvajal deflected a Deniz Undav shot against his own crossbar in a tense moment, while Thibaut Courtois made several critical saves to keep Stuttgart at bay.
Despite Stuttgart being the better side for long periods of the game, Real Madrid's quality in the final third proved decisive. As the Champions League season continues, both teams will look to build on this encounter and challenge for honours in Europe.
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