Gasperini: Roma showed character against Real Madrid until final seven minutes

Marten de Roon struggled to process Roma's 3–4 loss to Real Madrid on 14 October, describing the result as painful despite what he felt was a dominant display. Speaking to Prime Video after the match, the midfielder said: "I find it hard to comment on this match. It's a great shame, this is a heavy result. We played a great match and dominated Real Madrid for 80 minutes." De Roon acknowledged Real Madrid's quality emerged through their substitutions but felt Roma's defending had been sound until set pieces became a liability. He concluded: "Their quality came out with the substitutions, but we had defended well. Except for corners, we were too static, too still. We defended poorly, that's part of the game."

Donyell Malen spoke to Prime Video after Roma's 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Asked about his feelings on the match, Malen said: "Great disappointment, because we hoped to move forward, but they managed to score. There is great connection, we are a great squad, but there are things that did not go well, we must talk about them." The loss leaves Roma with work to do in their European campaign as they look to recover from the setback. Malen received a personal moment during the interview when shown postcards from his grandmother and mother, who told him they had spent good time together and were very proud to see him play in this competition.

Donyell Malen spoke to Prime Video after Roma's 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. The forward expressed his disappointment at the result, saying: "Great disappointment, because we hoped to go through, but they managed to score. There is a great connection, we are a great squad, however there are things that did not go well, we need to talk about them." Malen was asked about his personal feelings on Roma's performance in the competition. He acknowledged the team's quality while emphasising the need for internal discussion about what went wrong. The match saw Roma concede four goals, a setback in their European campaign this season.

Roma squandered a dominant display to lose 4–3 to Real Madrid in the second round of the UEFA Champions League League Phase at Stadio Olimpico on 14 October. The Giallorossi led 3–1 and controlled large stretches of the match but capitulated in the final stages, conceding three goals from corner kicks. Donyell Malen scored twice and created constant danger, earning an 8 rating, but his performance could not prevent Real's turnaround. Gian Piero Gasperini's side began brightly and took the lead through Marten de Roon before Malen and Matías Soulé extended the advantage. Real mounted a second-half comeback that proved fatal to Roma's hopes. The defensive substitutions—Leonardo Balerdi replacing Gianluca Mancini at 63 minutes and Konstantinos Koulierakis entering for Mario Hermoso at 80 minutes—failed to shore up the backline; both changes coincided with the collapse that allowed Real to turn the match around. Koné's early injury at 15 minutes proved costly to Roma's midfield stability, forcing Niccolò Pisilli into action. Wesley earned a 7 rating for tireless full-back play, while De Roon was judged indispensable given the midfield injuries and warranted 7 for both his goal and leadership. Rodrigo Mora came on for Paulo Dybala in the 46th minute after Dybala suffered a muscular problem, contributing 6.5 with an assist for Malen's second goal. Soulé, deployed wide on the right by Gasperini, scored 7 for his performance and the assist that made it 3–1. Lorenzo Pellegrini replaced Soulé at 63 minutes but could not affect the outcome, firing high from a good position. On the defending side, N'Dicka earned 6.5 despite conceding Rudiger's goal, while Hermoso was marked 5.5 for responsibility in Mbappé's opener. Pierluigi Gollini was rated 6, largely unburdened until the final collapse. Gasperini himself received 6, with the assessment noting that Roma's lack of experience and composure under pressure—particularly from set pieces—cost them dearly in the final twenty minutes.

Marten de Roon scored his first AS Roma goal on 14 October in a 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid, a header from outside the area in the 19th minute that arrived deflected by Konaté past Courtois. The 35-year-old's strike set a club record as the oldest goal by a Roma foreign player in the Champions League. De Roon arrived at Roma on 29 August after a decade at Atalanta, and had played three matches — one as a starter — without scoring before facing Madrid. His last Champions League goal came in 2023; he had not scored against a major European side since 2020. The Olimpico defeat left Roma with pride and regret, but the tactical work of the Dutch midfielder dominated the narrative of the evening. Gasperini deployed De Roon to neutralise Real Madrid's midfield triangle of Tchouaméni, Valverde and Bellingham. The midfielder made four tackles — three won — and cut out play repeatedly, following a pattern that had already defined his Serie A debut as a starter against Como, where he completed 84% of his passes (36 of 43) in 122 minutes. De Roon's role shifted tactically when Hermoso advanced on Vinicius: he dropped into a third centre-back position, allowing Mancini and N'Dicka to press Mbappé tightly. The goal itself came from low recovery and a quick exchange with Soulé before De Roon shot from 20 metres — the vertical directness Gasperini has demanded from him for years. The midfielder is contracted until 2028 and is the oldest member of the squad alongside Dybala. He chose Roma over offers from Saudi Arabia, stating he wanted "one last dance in the Champions League". He danced well, Gasperini confirmed, but the dance ended 3–4. For the coach, De Roon proved he is not a luxury reserve but the equilibriser Roma need in Europe, even in defeat.

Roma pushed Real Madrid hard for over an hour at the Olimpico, even taking the lead through Marten de Roon, but conceded four goals and lost the Champions League encounter. The Giallorossi produced attacking play that drew admiration from the home crowd, yet crumbled in the final quarter as Real's substitutes changed the match and corner kicks proved costly. Donyell Malen was outstanding, scoring twice and contributing an assist, while Matías Soulé added a goal and an assist in an attacking display that showcased Roma's creativity in the first half. The collapse overshadowed the performance, and injuries to Manu Koné—who left the field in tears after 16 minutes—and muscular issues for Paulo Dybala added to the frustration. Koné's early exit forced Niccolò Pisilli into a midfield equation that proved difficult to balance, particularly with Bryan Cristante also unavailable. The loss came despite Roma's dominance for long stretches. Pierluigi Gollini made several saves but was helpless against Real's finishing, notably on a Kylian Mbappé header that he failed to hold and left at the feet of Federico Chiesa. Leonardo Balerdi, introduced at the 62nd minute in place of Gianluca Mancini, could not shore up the defence as Real's second-half resurgence overwhelmed the backline. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso worked hard throughout, but the final quarter unraveled. Malen's performance stood out as galactic—even the Dutch word "galactisch" means galactic. Frustrated by his recent expulsion against Como, he responded with ruthless finishing, bundling in a double and nearly adding a third when he got clear of the entire Real defence, only for a save on the line and fortune to intervene. Soulé opened the scoring inside a minute with intensity and precision, then created multiple openings in the first half before adding a second-half assist. Rodrigo Mora, brought on at the interval, added an assist on his arrival. De Roon fired a missile from deep that brought the Olimpico to its feet. Despite all this, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's substitutions and Real's bench changes proved pivotal, and the Olimpico's collective hope evaporated under corner-kick pressure.

Roma squandered a dominant display to lose 4–3 to Real Madrid in the second round of the UEFA Champions League League Phase at Stadio Olimpico on 14 October. The Giallorossi led 3–1 and controlled large stretches of the match but capitulated in the final stages, conceding three goals from corner kicks. Donyell Malen scored twice and created constant danger, earning an 8 rating, but his performance could not prevent Real's turnaround. Gian Piero Gasperini's side began brightly and took the lead through Marten de Roon before Malen and Matías Soulé extended the advantage. Real mounted a second-half comeback that proved fatal to Roma's hopes. The defensive substitutions—Leonardo Balerdi replacing Gianluca Mancini at 63 minutes and Konstantinos Koulierakis entering for Mario Hermoso at 80 minutes—failed to shore up the backline; both changes coincided with the collapse that allowed Real to turn the match around. Koné's early injury at 15 minutes proved costly to Roma's midfield stability, forcing Niccolò Pisilli into action. Wesley earned a 7 rating for tireless full-back play, while De Roon was judged indispensable given the midfield injuries and warranted 7 for both his goal and leadership. Rodrigo Mora came on for Paulo Dybala in the 46th minute after Dybala suffered a muscular problem, contributing 6.5 with an assist for Malen's second goal. Soulé, deployed wide on the right by Gasperini, scored 7 for his performance and the assist that made it 3–1. Lorenzo Pellegrini replaced Soulé at 63 minutes but could not affect the outcome, firing high from a good position. On the defending side, N'Dicka earned 6.5 despite conceding Rudiger's goal, while Hermoso was marked 5.5 for responsibility in Mbappé's opener. Pierluigi Gollini was rated 6, largely unburdened until the final collapse. Gasperini himself received 6, with the assessment noting that Roma's lack of experience and composure under pressure—particularly from set pieces—cost them dearly in the final twenty minutes.

Marten de Roon scored his first AS Roma goal on 14 October in a 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid, a header from outside the area in the 19th minute that arrived deflected by Konaté past Courtois. The 35-year-old's strike set a club record as the oldest goal by a Roma foreign player in the Champions League. De Roon arrived at Roma on 29 August after a decade at Atalanta, and had played three matches — one as a starter — without scoring before facing Madrid. His last Champions League goal came in 2023; he had not scored against a major European side since 2020. The Olimpico defeat left Roma with pride and regret, but the tactical work of the Dutch midfielder dominated the narrative of the evening. Gasperini deployed De Roon to neutralise Real Madrid's midfield triangle of Tchouaméni, Valverde and Bellingham. The midfielder made four tackles — three won — and cut out play repeatedly, following a pattern that had already defined his Serie A debut as a starter against Como, where he completed 84% of his passes (36 of 43) in 122 minutes. De Roon's role shifted tactically when Hermoso advanced on Vinicius: he dropped into a third centre-back position, allowing Mancini and N'Dicka to press Mbappé tightly. The goal itself came from low recovery and a quick exchange with Soulé before De Roon shot from 20 metres — the vertical directness Gasperini has demanded from him for years. The midfielder is contracted until 2028 and is the oldest member of the squad alongside Dybala. He chose Roma over offers from Saudi Arabia, stating he wanted "one last dance in the Champions League". He danced well, Gasperini confirmed, but the dance ended 3–4. For the coach, De Roon proved he is not a luxury reserve but the equilibriser Roma need in Europe, even in defeat.

Roma pushed Real Madrid hard for over an hour at the Olimpico, even taking the lead through Marten de Roon, but conceded four goals and lost the Champions League encounter. The Giallorossi produced attacking play that drew admiration from the home crowd, yet crumbled in the final quarter as Real's substitutes changed the match and corner kicks proved costly. Donyell Malen was outstanding, scoring twice and contributing an assist, while Matías Soulé added a goal and an assist in an attacking display that showcased Roma's creativity in the first half. The collapse overshadowed the performance, and injuries to Manu Koné—who left the field in tears after 16 minutes—and muscular issues for Paulo Dybala added to the frustration. Koné's early exit forced Niccolò Pisilli into a midfield equation that proved difficult to balance, particularly with Bryan Cristante also unavailable. The loss came despite Roma's dominance for long stretches. Pierluigi Gollini made several saves but was helpless against Real's finishing, notably on a Kylian Mbappé header that he failed to hold and left at the feet of Federico Chiesa. Leonardo Balerdi, introduced at the 62nd minute in place of Gianluca Mancini, could not shore up the defence as Real's second-half resurgence overwhelmed the backline. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso worked hard throughout, but the final quarter unraveled. Malen's performance stood out as galactic—even the Dutch word "galactisch" means galactic. Frustrated by his recent expulsion against Como, he responded with ruthless finishing, bundling in a double and nearly adding a third when he got clear of the entire Real defence, only for a save on the line and fortune to intervene. Soulé opened the scoring inside a minute with intensity and precision, then created multiple openings in the first half before adding a second-half assist. Rodrigo Mora, brought on at the interval, added an assist on his arrival. De Roon fired a missile from deep that brought the Olimpico to its feet. Despite all this, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's substitutions and Real's bench changes proved pivotal, and the Olimpico's collective hope evaporated under corner-kick pressure.

Roma squandered a dominant display to lose 4–3 to Real Madrid in the second round of the UEFA Champions League League Phase at Stadio Olimpico on 14 October. The Giallorossi led 3–1 and controlled large stretches of the match but capitulated in the final stages, conceding three goals from corner kicks. Donyell Malen scored twice and created constant danger, earning an 8 rating, but his performance could not prevent Real's turnaround. Gian Piero Gasperini's side began brightly and took the lead through Marten de Roon before Malen and Matías Soulé extended the advantage. Real mounted a second-half comeback that proved fatal to Roma's hopes. The defensive substitutions—Leonardo Balerdi replacing Gianluca Mancini at 63 minutes and Konstantinos Koulierakis entering for Mario Hermoso at 80 minutes—failed to shore up the backline; both changes coincided with the collapse that allowed Real to turn the match around. Koné's early injury at 15 minutes proved costly to Roma's midfield stability, forcing Niccolò Pisilli into action. Wesley earned a 7 rating for tireless full-back play, while De Roon was judged indispensable given the midfield injuries and warranted 7 for both his goal and leadership. Rodrigo Mora came on for Paulo Dybala in the 46th minute after Dybala suffered a muscular problem, contributing 6.5 with an assist for Malen's second goal. Soulé, deployed wide on the right by Gasperini, scored 7 for his performance and the assist that made it 3–1. Lorenzo Pellegrini replaced Soulé at 63 minutes but could not affect the outcome, firing high from a good position. On the defending side, N'Dicka earned 6.5 despite conceding Rudiger's goal, while Hermoso was marked 5.5 for responsibility in Mbappé's opener. Pierluigi Gollini was rated 6, largely unburdened until the final collapse. Gasperini himself received 6, with the assessment noting that Roma's lack of experience and composure under pressure—particularly from set pieces—cost them dearly in the final twenty minutes.

Roma pushed Real Madrid hard for over an hour at the Olimpico, even taking the lead through Marten de Roon, but conceded four goals and lost the Champions League encounter. The Giallorossi produced attacking play that drew admiration from the home crowd, yet crumbled in the final quarter as Real's substitutes changed the match and corner kicks proved costly. Donyell Malen was outstanding, scoring twice and contributing an assist, while Matías Soulé added a goal and an assist in an attacking display that showcased Roma's creativity in the first half. The collapse overshadowed the performance, and injuries to Manu Koné—who left the field in tears after 16 minutes—and muscular issues for Paulo Dybala added to the frustration. Koné's early exit forced Niccolò Pisilli into a midfield equation that proved difficult to balance, particularly with Bryan Cristante also unavailable. The loss came despite Roma's dominance for long stretches. Pierluigi Gollini made several saves but was helpless against Real's finishing, notably on a Kylian Mbappé header that he failed to hold and left at the feet of Federico Chiesa. Leonardo Balerdi, introduced at the 62nd minute in place of Gianluca Mancini, could not shore up the defence as Real's second-half resurgence overwhelmed the backline. Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso worked hard throughout, but the final quarter unraveled. Malen's performance stood out as galactic—even the Dutch word "galactisch" means galactic. Frustrated by his recent expulsion against Como, he responded with ruthless finishing, bundling in a double and nearly adding a third when he got clear of the entire Real defence, only for a save on the line and fortune to intervene. Soulé opened the scoring inside a minute with intensity and precision, then created multiple openings in the first half before adding a second-half assist. Rodrigo Mora, brought on at the interval, added an assist on his arrival. De Roon fired a missile from deep that brought the Olimpico to its feet. Despite all this, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's substitutions and Real's bench changes proved pivotal, and the Olimpico's collective hope evaporated under corner-kick pressure.

Roma squandered a commanding performance to lose 3–2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League League Phase second matchday at the Stadio Olimpico on 14 October. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini said the club dominated the Spanish side for long stretches but capitulated in a seven-minute spell, conceding three goals from set-pieces. "We completely outclassed them, then we collapsed at the finish line," Gasperini told reporters after the match. "We had conducted the match in a remarkable way. It is regrettable we did not score more goals. They have scored theirs deservedly, from corner kicks, kicking them well and striking them well. For the rest they were certainly not at our level." Gasperini rejected suggestions that Real Madrid had worn Roma down, saying instead that it was the visitors who ran out of steam. "It seems to me that it was they who could not keep going. We could have scored even other goals. We outclassed them in everything," he said. The coach acknowledged that Roma became passive and lacked personality at the decisive moment, allowing Real Madrid to deploy fresh, quick attackers. The seven-minute collapse proved costly despite Roma's superiority across most of the 90 minutes. Gasperini insisted that the final scoreline masked the true nature of the contest and that Roma must learn to see out matches even when ahead, a trait typically shown by elite European sides under pressure. On his tactical decisions, Gasperini said: "Absolutely yes, I would make the same choices. Some substitutions were necessary, like Mancini and Hermoso. But Balerdi and Koulierakis came in. When you have absences in defence you cannot make other types of changes." Regarding injuries, he reported that Manu Koné suffered a muscle elongation and Paulo Dybala had a physical complaint, with other players carrying minor knocks. Gasperini also analysed Roma's weakness on set-pieces, noting that certain teams employ physical strength in such situations. "There is a risk of looking only at those seven minutes, but it is also true that matches must be taken all the way to the end," he said, emphasising that defensive errors at set-piece delivery were systemic rather than purely individual lapses. Gasperini concluded that Roma must digest the disappointment quickly and refocus on the wider picture of their Champions League campaign and domestic commitments ahead.