Mkhitaryan Came Close to Saving Inter and Moved Closer to a Historic UEFA Record

Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan reached another significant European milestone and came close to helping his team avoid defeat in their away Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

In the opening round of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, Inter suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Spanish side established a two-goal advantage in the first half through Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde. After the break, Carlos Augusto pulled one back for the Italian club.

Mkhitaryan entered the pitch in the 82nd minute, replacing Augusto. Despite having limited time to make an impact, the former Armenia captain managed to create one of Inter's most dangerous opportunities in the closing stages.

The 37-year-old midfielder unleashed a dangerous long-range effort that forced Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to make a save. Lautaro Martinez reacted to the rebound but was unable to finish the move. The chance could have earned Inter a late equaliser.

Italian media highlight Mkhitaryan's impact

The dangerous opportunity created by the Armenian midfielder did not go unnoticed by the Italian sports media. La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted Mkhitaryan's effort as one of Inter's biggest threats to the Real Madrid goal in the closing stages, pointing to Courtois' important save.

Sky Sport Italia rated Mkhitaryan's performance 6 out of 10. FCInterNews, meanwhile, gave the midfielder an “SV” (senza voto — no rating), as he had not spent enough time on the pitch to receive a full assessment.

Therefore, despite playing for only around ten minutes, Mkhitaryan could have emerged as one of Inter's heroes in Madrid. Only Courtois' intervention prevented his long-range effort from potentially becoming the goal that rescued a point for the Italian side.

163 appearances in UEFA competitions

The match in Madrid was also significant for Mkhitaryan from a statistical perspective. His appearance against Real Madrid officially became the Armenian midfielder's 163rd game in UEFA club competitions.

That tally puts Mkhitaryan level with legendary Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf. His next target is former Germany and Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, who made 164 appearances in UEFA club competitions.

An even more significant milestone is now within reach. The current threshold for entering the historical top 10 stands at 167 appearances, a mark shared by Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Buffon and Thomas Muller. Mkhitaryan therefore needs only four more European appearances to reach 167 and move to the doorstep of the all-time top 10.

Mkhitaryan's 163 appearances in UEFA competitions are divided as follows: 86 in the Champions League, 65 in the Europa League, 11 in the Conference League and one in the UEFA Super Cup.

The Armenian's achievement is also notable because he has built his impressive European record across eight different clubs. During his career, Mkhitaryan has represented Pyunik, Metalurh Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Arsenal, Roma and Inter Milan.

His European career also includes appearances in three major finals: the 2023 Champions League final with Inter, the victorious 2017 Europa League final with Manchester United and the victorious 2022 Conference League final with Roma.

The Champions League's new format gives Mkhitaryan a strong opportunity to improve his historical tally considerably over the coming months. If the midfielder continues to receive regular playing time in European competition, he could reach the 167-appearance milestone as early as this autumn or the beginning of winter.

Mkhitaryan came agonisingly close to rescuing Inter from defeat in Madrid, but the evening was historic for him nonetheless. The Armenian midfielder took another step towards joining the select group of players with the most appearances in the history of UEFA club competitions.