Gasperini's winning mentality shows through the pain of Roma's loss to Real Madrid

The atmosphere at the Olimpico during Roma matches is unmatched, and visiting supporters often leave speechless. A Real Madrid fan captured on video was visibly moved during Roma's anthem, his face showing wonder and emotion as the crowd sang in unison to Venditti's 'Roma Roma', making the stadium shake. Other Real Madrid supporters recorded the moment on their phones, aware they were witnessing something rare. "Wow," one can be heard saying in the footage — no other words seemed necessary. Roma's fans delivered a performance worthy of a Champions League night, and the team matched that intensity. The evening remained special until the 80th minute, when the light went out at the Olimpico.

Roma's night ended in heartbreak as they surrendered a commanding position to lose 3–4 to Real Madrid in the closing eight minutes at the Olimpico on 15 October. The collapse capped a historic disaster for Italian football: all four Serie A clubs competing in the Champions League were defeated on matchday two, an outcome that has never occurred before in the competition's history. Napoli and Inter had already fallen in the first round—the Partenopei losing 3–1 to Villarreal and Inter defeated 3–4 at home by Bruges. On 14 October, Como lost 3–2 to Feyenoord. Roma's late capitulation against Real Madrid completed the unprecedented sweep. What makes the slump more damaging is that three of the four Italian sides—Napoli, Como and Roma—conceded their defeats after going ahead, squandering winning positions. The consequences are immediate and severe. Italy has slipped to 10th place in the UEFA country ranking with an average of 4.357 points after two matchdays, a collapse that threatens the nation's allocation of an extra Champions League spot for the 2027–28 season. England currently leads the rankings, followed by Portugal and Spain.

Roma hosted Real Madrid in a Champions League fixture at the Olimpico featuring a tactical contest that saw the giallorossi control the game for the opening hour before succumbing to late changes by José Mourinho. Gasperini deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation with Matías Soulé replacing Lorenzo Pellegrini, Wesley at right-back and Nahuel Molina on the left, while Madrid operated in a 4-2-3-1. Roma's intensity and two-touch football allowed them to dominate territorially and recover possession effectively through midfield pressure from Manu Koné and Marten de Roon. The giallorossi created multiple chances with striking ease and took a deserved lead through a goal that emerged from Paulo Dybala's sliding recovery challenge, exemplifying their determination throughout the opening period. Real Madrid's defensive structure was described as poor, with Kylian Mbappé creating danger through quick transitions despite the hosts' superior control. Roma doubled their advantage early in the second half when Rodrigo Mora set up Donyell Malen for a second goal, with Koné again instrumental in winning the ball in midfield. The lead lasted only briefly, however, before Real Madrid equalised—Mario Hermoso's poor clearance in a duel allowing Mbappé to punish the error. Koné departed injured and was replaced by Niccolò Pisilli, while Dybala also left the pitch injured. Despite these setbacks, Roma extended their lead to 2–0 approaching the hour mark, appearing to have secured a prestigious victory. The tactical balance rested on Roma's compact midfield aggression and Madrid's reliance on immediate transition and direct passes to their pacy attackers Vinícius and another forward. Mourinho responded with aggressive substitutions, introducing Eder Endrich and Arda Guler for Dumfries and an ineffective Vinícius, shifting Valverde to right-back, and later bringing in Jude Bellingham—referred to in the text as Silva—for Aurélien Tchouaméni, followed by Alejandro Balde and Carlos Espiñeira for Álvaro Cucurella and Maba Diomande. Fresh Roma changes saw Pellegrini replace Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi come on for the cautioned Gianluca Mancini. Madrid pressed relentlessly as Roma struggled to maintain defensive solidity, eventually conceding three times from set pieces near the corner flag—described as an "incredible" and "bewitched" match that delivered Mourinho's side a dramatic late victory. Both managers acknowledged the match featured two distinct contests in one fixture, with the stronger side emerging victorious at the final whistle despite Roma's earlier dominance. Koné and Dybala's injuries marked a significant cost to Roma's effort on the evening.

Roma hosted Real Madrid in a Champions League fixture at the Olimpico featuring a tactical contest that saw the giallorossi control the game for the opening hour before succumbing to late changes by José Mourinho. Gasperini deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation with Matías Soulé replacing Lorenzo Pellegrini, Wesley at right-back and Nahuel Molina on the left, while Madrid operated in a 4-2-3-1. Roma's intensity and two-touch football allowed them to dominate territorially and recover possession effectively through midfield pressure from Manu Koné and Marten de Roon. The giallorossi created multiple chances with striking ease and took a deserved lead through a goal that emerged from Paulo Dybala's sliding recovery challenge, exemplifying their determination throughout the opening period. Real Madrid's defensive structure was described as poor, with Kylian Mbappé creating danger through quick transitions despite the hosts' superior control. Roma doubled their advantage early in the second half when Rodrigo Mora set up Donyell Malen for a second goal, with Koné again instrumental in winning the ball in midfield. The lead lasted only briefly, however, before Real Madrid equalised—Mario Hermoso's poor clearance in a duel allowing Mbappé to punish the error. Koné departed injured and was replaced by Niccolò Pisilli, while Dybala also left the pitch injured. Despite these setbacks, Roma extended their lead to 2–0 approaching the hour mark, appearing to have secured a prestigious victory. The tactical balance rested on Roma's compact midfield aggression and Madrid's reliance on immediate transition and direct passes to their pacy attackers Vinícius and another forward. Mourinho responded with aggressive substitutions, introducing Eder Endrich and Arda Guler for Dumfries and an ineffective Vinícius, shifting Valverde to right-back, and later bringing in Jude Bellingham—referred to in the text as Silva—for Aurélien Tchouaméni, followed by Alejandro Balde and Carlos Espiñeira for Álvaro Cucurella and Maba Diomande. Fresh Roma changes saw Pellegrini replace Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi come on for the cautioned Gianluca Mancini. Madrid pressed relentlessly as Roma struggled to maintain defensive solidity, eventually conceding three times from set pieces near the corner flag—described as an "incredible" and "bewitched" match that delivered Mourinho's side a dramatic late victory. Both managers acknowledged the match featured two distinct contests in one fixture, with the stronger side emerging victorious at the final whistle despite Roma's earlier dominance. Koné and Dybala's injuries marked a significant cost to Roma's effort on the evening.

José Mourinho encountered three of his former Roma players after the 3–4 draw between Roma and Real Madrid on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala spoke with Mourinho in the plaza outside Stadio Olimpico near the team coaches at the end of a particularly significant evening for the Special One, who returned to the capital as an opponent. The meeting underscored the enduring connection between Mourinho and the club he managed during his time in Rome. The encounter took place in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic fixture that delivered plenty for both sides to reflect on. In the ratings published by five daily newspapers covering the match, Donyell Malen emerged as Roma's highest-rated performer with an average of 7.60. Matías Soulé followed with 7.10 and Wesley with 7.00, while Marten de Roon closed at 6.80. Leonardo Balerdi received the lowest average rating at 5.10. Among the starting players, Nahuel Molina posted the lowest average mark at 5.20, followed by Mario Hermoso at 5.30 and Pierluigi Gollini at 5.50.

Roma held their own against Real Madrid for 80 minutes in a Champions League encounter at the Olimpico, twice taking the lead through Donyell Malen's brace, but conceded three goals in a devastating late collapse that handed the Spanish side victory. Malen emerged as the standout performer, earning praise across all six major Italian newspapers for his attacking display and two-goal contribution. Matías Soulé also drew consistent ratings in the 7–7.5 range for his involvement in Roma's attacking play, notably providing the assist for the second goal. Gasperini's side dominated large stretches of the match and came close to a third goal, but a series of set-piece lapses—attributed in the match analysis to tactical adjustments—proved fatal. The defensive vulnerabilities were magnified by poor individual performances: Leonardo Balerdi received ratings of 4.5 to 5.5 across the papers, while Nahuel Molina struggled throughout, rated between 5 and 5.5 by all outlets. Gazzetta dello Sport awarded Malen 7.5 and Soulé 6.5, while Corriere dello Sport rated Malen 7.5 and Soulé 7. Il Messaggero gave identical marks—Malen 7.5, Soulé 7—as did Il Tempo, which rated Soulé 7.5. Corriere della Sera and Leggo both scored Malen 7.5, the latter's most generous assessment across the match report cards. Balerdi's substitution at the 63-minute mark failed to arrest Roma's defensive decline. Gasperini himself received a consistent 6.5 from every outlet, reflecting the tactical merit of Roma's performance offset by the costly failure to manage the closing stages. Wesley earned widespread praise in the 6.5–7 range for his defensive work, while Evan N'Dicka and Marten de Roon also registered solid marks of 6–7.