Kylian Mbappe 'happy' after scoring first Champions League goal in Real Madrid win

Kylian Mbappe, at the age of 25, marked his inaugural Champions League appearance for Real Madrid by scoring as the reigning champions commenced their title defense with a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Antonio Rudiger added to the scoreline with a header in the 83rd minute for the record 15-time champions, following Deniz Undav's equalizer that came just moments into the second half after Mbappe's initial goal.

Endrick, another player making his Champions League debut, sealed the win for Madrid with a low shot during stoppage time.

Although Stuttgart dominated a lively first half, Carlo Ancelotti's squad is known for their ability to secure victories under pressure, managing to claim all three points despite the visitors' commendable performance.

With his goal, Mbappe reached a total of five goals for the season in seven matches across all competitions, having opened the scoring by exploiting space at the beginning of the second half.

"I am aware that I can achieve more; I feel increasingly better with each game, and now that I am scoring goals, I am content here," Mbappe stated to Movistar.

"The match was challenging, but it is the Champions League—always difficult. However, we triumphed at home and won our first game," he added.

"What we understand is that the Champions League has evolved, and it is crucial to secure early victories to assess our chances of qualifying swiftly."

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward was unable to secure the most prestigious title in club football during his tenure in France, and his ambition to claim the trophy aligns with Real Madrid's fervent pursuit of it.

Stuttgart appeared unaware of the situation, and after Vinicius struck the crossbar, the German team equalized.

Jamie Leweling nearly found the net himself with several attempts before delivering a corner that Undav headed past Courtois.

Ancelotti introduced 18-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick in the final 10 minutes, seeking a decisive goal to initiate the holders' title defense on a high note.

The breakthrough came quickly, but it was not from Madrid's renowned attacking players; rather, it was center-back Rudiger who scored with a header from Luka Modric's corner in the 83rd minute.

Vinicius squandered a prime opportunity to secure the victory for Madrid, but his fellow countryman Endrick capitalized on his sole chance, striking decisively from the edge of the box in the closing moments.

The forward chose not to pass to his more seasoned teammates and opted to shoot early, surprising goalkeeper Nubel.

"He's a young talent with significant quality, and he demonstrated it," Courtois remarked.

"Clearly, he exhibited confidence by opting to shoot rather than passing to Vini or Kylian."