Antonio Ruediger and teenage replacement Endrick scored goals late in the game to help defending champion Real Madrid defeat Stuttgart 3-1 at home to begin their Champions League championship defence.

At a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Stuttgart was undoubtedly the better team.

Real Madrid custodian Thibaut Courtois had to make many crucial stops to thwart the German team’s attempts.

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On the other hand, Real Madrid took the lead in the opening minute of the second half thanks to a swift counterattack that saw Rodrygo cross the ball and Kylian Mbappe score from close range.

Deniz Undav’s header for Stuttgart tied the score in the 68th minute, but Luka Modric, a late substitute for Real, hoisted a corner kick to find Ruediger, who nodded a header past the custodian in the 83rd.

Deep into additional time, Endrick, then eighteen, scored a strong long-range goal to give the home team a thrilling victory.

Both 1.73-meter-tall Carvajal and substitute fullback Lucas Vazquez were easy targets for Stuttgart and were frequently caught out of position, which gave the German team opportunities throughout the first half.

In the first twenty minutes, an inspired Courtois produced world-class saves from tries by Jamie Leweling, Enzo Millot, and Angelo Stiller.