De Roon's intelligence and work rate shine in Como victory

Real Madrid, managed by José Mourinho, will visit the Olimpico for Roma's first home Champions League match of the season following a controversial weekend victory. Mourinho was recalled by Florentino Pérez to restore leadership to a squad that appeared adrift after Carlo Ancelotti's departure and the brief tenures of Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa. Real Madrid's 3–2 win against Villarreal on Saturday was marred by dispute: Yan Diomandé scored his first goal for the club, but Vinicius Junior's apparent second was ruled out by VAR, with the Brazilian subsequently sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair. The Bernabéu erupted in fury, and Mourinho protested vehemently before declining to attend the post-match press conference. Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma's head coach, noted the parallel with Roma's own recent match against Como played with a numerical disadvantage: "Them though, they managed to take it home, we drew it." Roma arrive in sharply contrasting circumstances—also having played with ten men but emerging with different feelings about their display. The Olimpico atmosphere will carry emotional weight: Mourinho spent three seasons at Roma and retains a strong bond with the supporters, who are expected to offer him a special reception. The club has no plans for banners or singing, Mourinho said, requesting only respect. The fixture also carries refereeing history: François Letexier, who will take charge, was central to the Vinicius–Prestianni incident during Benfica–Real Madrid last season, when the Brazilian reported racial abuse from the Argentine defender. Mourinho, then Benfica's manager, was sent off by Letexier for protesting during that match. An IFAB rule was subsequently introduced following that controversy. Mourinho's task is to harness the momentum—or, as Spanish observers termed it, the "hysteria"—surrounding Real Madrid's win to move past the pressure and speculation about his position. A victory at the stadium that was his home for three years could silence doubts and transform the club's trajectory.

Roma will host Real Madrid on Wednesday at 20:45 in the second matchday of the Champions League league phase, with French referee Francois Letexier appointed to take charge. Letexier will be assisted by Mugnier and Rrahmouni, with Dechepy as fourth official. The VAR team comprises Higler and Van Boekel. Roma and Letexier have met four times previously, all in European competition. The record stands at two victories and two defeats. The most recent encounter came in the 2024–25 Europa League knockout round, when Roma won 3–2 against Porto at the Olimpico in the return leg, with Dybala scoring twice and Pisilli adding a goal. In the preceding season, Roma lost 2–0 to Slavia Praga in the group stage, defeated Brighton 4–0 in the Round of 16 first leg, and fell 2–0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-final first leg.

French referee Letexier will take charge of Roma's Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday at the Stadio Olimpico. He will be assisted by Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni as linesmen, with Bastien Dechepy as fourth official. Roma's history with Letexier offers mixed omens. In four previous encounters—all in the UEFA Europa League—Roma have won twice and lost twice. The victories came against Brighton and Porto at home, while defeats were inflicted by Slavia Praga away (2–0) and Bayer Leverkusen at the Olimpico (2–0).

Roma will face Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday 14 October at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico, the second round of fixtures after opening with a 1–1 draw away to Fenerbahce. Real Madrid enter on three points following a 2–1 victory over Inter at the Bernabéu. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are without goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who has suffered a stress fracture to the fifth toe and will miss several weeks, leaving Pierluigi Gollini to start after featuring in the 0–0 draw at Como. Bryan Cristante remains uncertain with a right knee problem that forced him to miss the Como trip. Roma's last four Champions League meetings with Real Madrid have ended in defeat without scoring, making this fixture a chance to reverse a poor record. The clubs have met 12 times in the competition, with Real Madrid winning eight, Roma winning once and three draws recorded. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3–4–2–1 formation, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in defence, Nahuel Molina and Wesley on the flanks, and Marten de Roon partnering Manu Koné in midfield. Paulo Dybala will operate behind the forward, with Matías Soulé in contention after starting on the bench at Como and Donyell Malen leading the line. Malen's red card against Como applies only to Serie A and will not prevent him playing in Europe. José Mourinho's Real Madrid will likely field a 4–2–3–1. Thibaut Courtois starts in goal with a back four potentially featuring Matthijs de Ligt, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferland Mendy, though alternatives include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Álex Carreras. Yan Diomande, who scored the winner against Villarreal last weekend, is being monitored as a threat to Vinícius Júnior for a starting berth. Federico Valverde and Tchouaméni will anchor midfield, with Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius supporting Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid are without Éder Militão, who has returned to training but will miss Roma and subsequent fixtures, and Mendy is not included on the club's UEFA squad list. The match will be broadcast exclusively in Italy on Amazon Prime Video, with build-up coverage starting at 19:30 and kick-off at 21:00 on Wednesday 14 October. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the start.

Davide Moscardelli, a former Chievo Verona and Bologna player and Roma supporter, analysed yesterday's match against Como on Radio Bruno (101.5), defending the side's goalless draw while questioning some of Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical decisions. Moscardelli backed the point secured, saying: "We take home this result, although I would add with a touch of regret. It is certainly a further step forward in the process Roma began last year and is carrying forward very well. It is a shame, because the match had been prepared and approached well. The first 0–0 of the season arrived between two teams from which perhaps we would not have expected it. But it was a good match. Naturally, Malen's expulsion changed the balance." He highlighted Roma's defensive control in the second half as a particular strength, noting: "Roma succeeded in playing a large part of the second half suffering together, without however conceding many truly dangerous chances. Apart from Perrone's chance, comparable in importance to the one that fell to Dybala, the rest of the match was managed quite well." On Paulo Dybala's performance, Moscardelli acknowledged the midfielder's wider role but noted concern at his lack of goals. "He has done exceptional work, including in defensive transitions and helping the squad. However, it is certainly not what we normally ask him or would like to ask him." He expressed surprise at Santiago Castro not entering the pitch, saying Castro as "a fresh player, a fighter" could have eased Como's pressure, though he accepted Gasperini's judgment. On goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and midfielder Marten de Roon, Moscardelli was complimentary: "Gollini and De Roon were among the best on the pitch. They were called to give a positive response and they gave it. Confidence must be given to them. Everyone will be needed, especially in this month, with many matches concentrated in less than thirty days." Moscardelli also discussed Donyell Malen's red card, saying the forward arrived "with great force, with much impetuousness" but that the contact with the ball was clear. He suggested the referee had focused on the intensity of the challenge rather than intent to injure. On the broader Champions League campaign ahead, Moscardelli urged the squad to enjoy the moment, particularly Gollini: "Finding himself playing in the Champions League against Real Madrid when perhaps, a short time ago, you were used to playing much less, is something special. For him it will certainly be a source of pride and also a reward for all the work carried out."

Pierluigi Gollini delivered a man-of-the-match performance in place of the absent Mile Svilar as Roma won at Como, with Gasperini's trusted contingent from his Atalanta days forming the spine of a dominant defensive display. Gollini, who had played only one match in nearly two years before this fixture, was repeatedly tested by Nico Paz and denied him four times. Marten de Roon, another Gasperini recruit, was among the standout performers, while Gianluca Mancini marshalled the defence alongside Mario Hermoso and Evan N'Dicka, offering little to one of Italy's most attacking sides. Mancini drew particular focus. He had faced criticism for early-season lapses against Atalanta and Inter, yet Roma's defensive record speaks loudly: three goals conceded in Serie A, the best in the division. Only Arsenal, across all competitions, has a better tally. Despite his occasional mistakes, Mancini's concentration never wavered. Seven years at Roma have made him a son of the capital, evidenced by his rejection of Inter's advances. Gasperini shaped the defender during his time at Atalanta, and Mancini has grown into the role. After the match, Gasperini explained: "The group put him in the best conditions." The Atalanta contingent—players the coach brought in—seized the spotlight at Como and may yet dominate again this season. Roma face Real Madrid next. The assignment is among the season's heaviest: marking Vinicius and others. It will be the toughest examination for Italy's best defence. Mancini arrives at the right moment—his statistics and Gasperini's confidence on his side, and the doubters waiting to be silenced.

Roma will face Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday 14 October at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico, the second round of fixtures after opening with a 1–1 draw away to Fenerbahce. Real Madrid enter on three points following a 2–1 victory over Inter at the Bernabéu. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are without goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who has suffered a stress fracture to the fifth toe and will miss several weeks, leaving Pierluigi Gollini to start after featuring in the 0–0 draw at Como. Bryan Cristante remains uncertain with a right knee problem that forced him to miss the Como trip. Roma's last four Champions League meetings with Real Madrid have ended in defeat without scoring, making this fixture a chance to reverse a poor record. The clubs have met 12 times in the competition, with Real Madrid winning eight, Roma winning once and three draws recorded. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3–4–2–1 formation, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in defence, Nahuel Molina and Wesley on the flanks, and Marten de Roon partnering Manu Koné in midfield. Paulo Dybala will operate behind the forward, with Matías Soulé in contention after starting on the bench at Como and Donyell Malen leading the line. Malen's red card against Como applies only to Serie A and will not prevent him playing in Europe. José Mourinho's Real Madrid will likely field a 4–2–3–1. Thibaut Courtois starts in goal with a back four potentially featuring Matthijs de Ligt, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferland Mendy, though alternatives include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Álex Carreras. Yan Diomande, who scored the winner against Villarreal last weekend, is being monitored as a threat to Vinícius Júnior for a starting berth. Federico Valverde and Tchouaméni will anchor midfield, with Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius supporting Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid are without Éder Militão, who has returned to training but will miss Roma and subsequent fixtures, and Mendy is not included on the club's UEFA squad list. The match will be broadcast exclusively in Italy on Amazon Prime Video, with build-up coverage starting at 19:30 and kick-off at 21:00 on Wednesday 14 October. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the start.

Paulo Dybala has become AS Roma's most heavily deployed player under Gian Piero Gasperini this season, having accumulated 586 minutes of action so far. In the match on 11 October, the Argentine remained on the pitch for nearly the entire game, withdrawn only in the closing stages of added time. No other outfield player has surpassed his total; Mario Hermoso (569 minutes) and Gianluca Mancini (556 minutes) follow, while Bryan Cristante, Roma's usual leader in this statistic, is pursuing the figure after injury. Roma face Real Madrid on Wednesday, managed by José Mourinho—the coach who convinced Dybala to join the club. The current Roma side now plays with noticeably sharper attacking football than the team previously built around Dybala as its creative fulcrum. Speaking to PRIME ahead of the fixture, Dybala reflected on the previous season: "We gave everything last season. It brought joy to us and the fans, and pride too. We face some of the most decorated teams in the world, but with our people behind us we'll have something extra." Dybala expressed hope of concluding his career in Rome. "I never imagined having a career like this here," he said. "This country welcomed me with open arms, the people helped me grow as a man and player. There are so many emotions here—beautiful moments and difficult ones, like in any life. I hope there can be an Italian ending. Where? At Roma and with Roma. But it's premature to talk about it." The midfielder added that last season "put happiness and pride" into both the squad and supporters.

Pierluigi Gollini emerged as Roma's standout performer in press ratings following the recent match, averaging 7.08 across major Italian newspapers. Evan N'Dicka and Marten de Roon followed closely at 6.92 each, with Gianluca Mancini at 6.42 and Paulo Dybala at 6.33. Donyell Malen, penalised for his red card, rated lowest at 4.83, while substitute Matías Soulé averaged 5.70. Roma resume training today ahead of their UEFA Champions League fixture against Real Madrid. Mile Svilar and Bryan Cristante remain unavailable, though Gian Piero Gasperini will attempt to recover Konstantinos Koulierakis. Mancini and Mario Hermoso are assured in defence, with a contest between Leonardo Balerdi and N'Dicka for the third spot. Malen and Dybala will lead the attack, and Soulé is favoured to reclaim a starting role in the attacking midfield. Manu Koné and de Roon are confirmed as the central midfield pairing, while Nahuel Molina and Emanuele Lulli will battle for the right flank. Former player Ciccio Graziani commented on Malen's expulsion against Como, highlighting a foul the winger suffered before receiving the red card. Graziani said: "He should have fallen and taken the foul—that's also attacker cunning. But he stayed on his feet and lost clarity. You shouldn't simulate, but if there's a foul, take it: he was pulled three times."