Gasperini’s side led 3-1 in the second half, then conceded three goals in the last seven minutes as Mourinho’s Real Madrid won on his return to RomeFor 80 minutes, Roma had the better of José Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. By the 97th, they had lost. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side led 3-1 in the second half of their Champions League league-phase match on Wednesday night, and then conceded three goals in the closing stages to lose 4-3.The result leaves Roma with one point from two games, after a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahçe in the opening round, and places them 25th in the table. Real Madrid have won both of their games and have six points, having beaten Inter 2-1 on the first matchday. Mourinho’s Return The evening was dominated by the return of Mourinho, who led Roma to the Conference League title in 2022 and came back as Real Madrid’s coach, a job the club announced on June 11, 2026, on a contract until 2029. According to the match reports, he was welcomed with chants and banners by the home crowd, and the Olimpico paid tribute to him early in the game. It was also Roma’s first Champions League match in front of their own fans for seven years, according to Tuttosport. How the Match Unfolded Roma started with intensity. Marten de Roon opened the scoring on 20 minutes, with a slight deflection beating Thibaut Courtois. Five minutes later, Kylian Mbappé equalized, and the match went into half-time at 1-1. Roma also lost Mohamed Koné to a change in the first half, with Niccolò Pisilli coming on in the 17th minute. After the break, Roma took control. Donyell Malen scored on 51 minutes to make it 2-1, and added a second goal on 57 to make it 3-1. Real Madrid, who had also had goals ruled out during the match, appeared to be beaten. Then the game turned. Carlos Espí scored on 83 minutes, Endrick equalized with a header two minutes later, and in the 90th minute Antonio Rüdiger, who played for Roma earlier in his career, scored the winner. Three of Real Madrid’s four goals came from corners, according to one report. Referee François Letexier added five minutes of stoppage time, and Espí was booked in the fourth minute of added time. What the Coaches Said Gasperini called the defeat very hard to accept and said Roma had spoiled the finish. Talking about the closing stages, he said the team had been paralyzed and that Real Madrid scored too easily. Another report quotes him saying Roma had been superior to Real for 80 minutes. Mourinho acknowledged that Roma were the better side for long stretches, but said Real Madrid had been impossible to stop for 20 minutes, which is when the comeback happened. The Line-ups Roma (3-4-2-1): Gollini; Mancini (Balerdi), Ndicka, Hermoso (Koulierakis); Wesley, de Roon, Koné (Pisilli), Molina; Soulé (Pellegrini), Dybala (Mora); Malen. Coach: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinícius Jr; Mbappé. Coach: Mourinho. What Comes Next Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Olimpico on October 20, a match they will now need to win to stay on track in the league phase. Real Madrid face Leipzig at home on October 21. At a Glance Result: Roma 3-4 Real Madrid Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday 2 Venue and date: Stadio Olimpico, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Roma scorers: de Roon (20'), Malen (51', 57') Real Madrid scorers: Mbappé (25'), Espí (83'), Endrick (85'), Rüdiger (90') Referee: François Letexier Ph: ErreRoberto / Shutterstock.com

For 80 minutes, Roma had the better of José Mourinho’s Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. By the 97th, they had lost. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side led 3-1 in the second half of their Champions League league-phase match on Wednesday night, and then conceded three goals in the closing stages to lose 4-3. The result leaves Roma with one point from two games, after a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahçe in the opening round, and places them 25th in the table. Real Madrid have won both of their games and have six points, having beaten Inter 2-1 on the first matchday. The evening was dominated by the return of Mourinho, who led Roma to the Conference League title in 2022 and came back as Real Madrid’s coach, a job the club announced on June 11, 2026, on a contract until 2029. According to the match reports, he was welcomed with chants and banners by the home crowd, and the Olimpico paid tribute to him early in the game. It was also Roma’s first Champions League match in front of their own fans for seven years, according to Tuttosport. Roma started with intensity. Marten de Roon opened the scoring on 20 minutes, with a slight deflection beating Thibaut Courtois. Five minutes later, Kylian Mbappé equalized, and the match went into half-time at 1-1. Roma also lost Mohamed Koné to a change in the first half, with Niccolò Pisilli coming on in the 17th minute. After the break, Roma took control. Donyell Malen scored on 51 minutes to make it 2-1, and added a second goal on 57 to make it 3-1. Real Madrid, who had also had goals ruled out during the match, appeared to be beaten. Then the game turned. Carlos Espí scored on 83 minutes, Endrick equalized with a header two minutes later, and in the 90th minute Antonio Rüdiger, who played for Roma earlier in his career, scored the winner. Three of Real Madrid’s four goals came from corners, according to one report. Referee François Letexier added five minutes of stoppage time, and Espí was booked in the fourth minute of added time. Gasperini called the defeat very hard to accept and said Roma had spoiled the finish. Talking about the closing stages, he said the team had been paralyzed and that Real Madrid scored too easily. Another report quotes him saying Roma had been superior to Real for 80 minutes. Mourinho acknowledged that Roma were the better side for long stretches, but said Real Madrid had been impossible to stop for 20 minutes, which is when the comeback happened. Roma (3-4-2-1): Gollini; Mancini (Balerdi), Ndicka, Hermoso (Koulierakis); Wesley, de Roon, Koné (Pisilli), Molina; Soulé (Pellegrini), Dybala (Mora); Malen. Coach: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Diomande, Bellingham, Vinícius Jr; Mbappé. Coach: Mourinho. Roma host Slovan Bratislava at the Olimpico on October 20, a match they will now need to win to stay on track in the league phase. Real Madrid face Leipzig at home on October 21. Result: Roma 3-4 Real Madrid
Competition: UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday 2
Venue and date: Stadio Olimpico, Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Roma scorers: de Roon (20'), Malen (51', 57')
Real Madrid scorers: Mbappé (25'), Espí (83'), Endrick (85'), Rüdiger (90')
Referee: François Letexier Ph: ErreRoberto / Shutterstock.com