Mora credits Wesley with easing his Roma arrival

Roma face a mounting injury crisis following their 3–4 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Manu Koné suffered the most serious blow, limping off after just 17 minutes with a muscular problem to his thigh. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini confirmed the injury and indicated it would be the more severe of two fresh concerns. Paulo Dybala also departed at half-time with what Gasperini described as a calf strain and tightness in the soleus muscle, though the initial assessment suggests a shorter absence than Koné's. Instrumental tests on both players were scheduled for today to establish the precise nature and extent of their injuries. The fear surrounding Koné is a right-leg bicep femoris strain with potential recovery taking roughly a month, meaning he could miss matches until after the international break in mid-November. The worst-case scenario would rule him out for several weeks. Dybala's presence against Genoa on Saturday appears heavily compromised, though Roma hope for a swift recovery in time for subsequent fixtures, particularly the crucial clash against Napoli. This crisis compounds existing absences. Mile Svilar will remain sidelined at least until November's international break owing to a stress fracture of the fifth toe, while Bryan Cristante is unavailable with knee inflammation and no confirmed return date. The midfield emergency has become particularly acute: without Cristante and, in all likelihood, without Koné for multiple matches, Gasperini has only Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli as natural options for the two central midfield spots. Lorenzo Pellegrini would become the primary alternative to drop deeper into midfield if required, leaving the squad perilously thin in reserve. The timing is delicate given Roma's fixture schedule and the demands of balancing Serie A and Champions League football. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, visit the Olimpico on Saturday. The coming hours will determine how heavily the Champions League night weighs on Roma's resources.

Wesley has revealed how Gasperini asked him to mark Vinicius in Roma's recent match against Real Madrid, describing the specific tactical instruction and the confidence the coach showed in him. Speaking to TNT Sports, the Brazilian defender explained that he expected Nahuel Molina to take the assignment on the left, noting that Molina has faced Vinicius many times before and shares a natural competitive edge with him as an Argentine against a Brazilian. However, Gasperini chose Wesley for the role, telling him: "I'm going to put you on Vini, I trust you." Wesley accepted the challenge, saying: "I thought, 'Let's go, let's see what happens'." Wesley was satisfied with his individual performance despite Roma's 3–4 defeat. He acknowledged that the result left a bitter taste, stating: "I was prepared and I liked my match. I still need to improve many things, but I'm happy with my individual performance. For the loss, though, I'm not satisfied, because we deserved to win." He also outlined Roma's tactical approach: the team attacked more heavily on the right because Gasperini knew that Real Madrid's left flank required a defender of Wesley's profile. On the specific duel with Vinicius, Wesley reflected: "Fortunately I managed to stop Vini. At one point I thought, 'Today it's me here, go to the other side and let's see what you can do there'." The arrival of Endrick as a substitute changed the dynamic, however. Wesley said: "He came on and got an assist and a goal. Total respect for him—that guy is brilliant and I'm a fan of his. But today I wasn't rooting for him."

José Mourinho praised Wesley after Real Madrid's match against Roma, saying he was struck by the Brazilian's quality up close. "I knew he was strong already, but seeing him in person was the first time," Mourinho told TNT Sports. The Portuguese manager, overseeing a squad filled with talent from Mbappé to Diomandé, noted that Real Madrid's eleven is formidable and capable of turning matches around within five minutes, even from two goals down—as they demonstrated against Roma. However, Wesley remains focused on Roma. Mourinho will have to be content watching him from a distance for now.

Roma looked destined for a historic victory against Real Madrid at the Olimpico, leading 2–0 deep into the second half before conceding three goals in seven minutes to lose 3–2. De Roon's shot, slightly deflected by Konaté, put Roma ahead early despite Koné's injury (tests scheduled for today) and the prestige of Real's lineup. Real equalised through Mbappé after Mario Hermoso's poor pass, with Mancini's deflection assisting the leveller. In the second half, Paulo Dybala was withdrawn with a muscle strain and replaced by Rodrigo Mora, who set up Donyell Malen for Roma's second goal after five minutes. Matías Soulé then crossed for Malen to make it 2–0 at the 57th minute, and Roma came close to a fourth when Lorenzo Pellegrini threatened the scoreline further. The Olimpico, where Francesco Totti watched from the stands, erupted with each Roma goal. Then the collapse began. Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, celebrated by the stadium before and during the match with banners and a dedicated choreography, engineered the turnaround through substitutions, bringing on Endrick and Éspinoza. Both attackers, along with Rudiger, combined to reverse the result between the 83rd and 90th minutes on set pieces, handing Mourinho a dramatic victory.

Pierluigi Gollini spoke after Roma's defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League, expressing frustration at conceding three set-piece goals despite a dominant display. The goalkeeper acknowledged Roma's control of the match for 80–90 minutes but said the team had paid for a critical weakness. "Ottanta minuti di grandissima Roma, poi?" he began. "Difficile spiegare, fa molto male. Rimane l'amarezza di questa serata, di una partita giocata in maniera sontuosa." He continued: "Sarebbe stata una serata bellissima, per noi e per i nostri tifosi. Siamo venuti a mancare in un particolare, nei calci piazzati. Non ho ancora rivisto i gol sinceramente, ma tutti potevamo fare di più. Ci dispiace, sono bastati tre calci piazzati a rovinare e mandare in fumo una prestazione." Gollini praised Roma's overall approach and said set-piece vulnerability must be addressed urgently. "Una grande Roma, sì," he said of the team's first-half showing. "Ho avuto qualche intervento da fare, ma è normale che arrivino contro squadre del genere. Mi sono sentito molto bene in campo, ho visto una grande Roma fisicamente e tatticamente. Purtroppo siamo mancati in quel fondamentale del gioco del calcio, i calci piazzati, ed è un peccato." Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini told the squad in the dressing room to reflect individually on how each player could improve. Gollini noted that conceding two identical set-piece goals had introduced psychological pressure before the third. "Prendere un gol in quel modo e un altro uguale è normale che subentrino delle paure, magari c'è un pensiero negativo," he explained. "Il fatto di aver preso due gol uguali, al terzo un po' di preoccupazione in più la hai." Looking ahead, Gollini said he approaches each fixture individually: after Como and Real Madrid, he is now focused on the Genoa match. He stressed that the team should carry forward the positive elements of the performance. "Ciò che è stato fatto bene ci deve dare morale, ciò che abbiamo sbagliato rabbia per arrivare più carichi alla prossima."

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's defence collapsed catastrophically in the closing stages as Real Madrid stormed back from 3–1 down to win 4–3 at the Olimpico, despite Gian Piero Gasperini's side controlling the match for over 80 minutes. Donyell Malen scored twice to put Roma in command, but three goals conceded from set pieces in quick succession — all in the final eight minutes — undid a commanding performance. Gasperini deployed man-marking throughout, with Matías Soulé assigned to Cucurella, Manu Koné on Valverde, Marten de Roon on Tchouaméni, Wesley on Vinícius, Nahuel Molina on Dumfries, Evan N'Dicka on Mbappé, Gianluca Mancini on Bellingham and Mario Hermoso on Diomande. Roma took the lead in the 20th minute when De Roon finished after Paulo Dybala won possession, with Malen and Niccolò Pisilli building the move; the shot was deflected by Konaté past Courtois. Mbappé equalized but Roma pushed on. In the second half, Malen struck twice more — both goals confirmed by VAR — to extend Roma's lead to 3–1 and send the Olimpico into raptures. Yet fatigue and the quality of Real's substitutes proved decisive. José Mourinho introduced Endrick, Arda Guler and fresh reinforcements from the bench. Espí made it 3–2 at the 82nd minute, Endrick equalized two minutes later, and Rüdiger completed the turnaround at the 90th minute. The performance remained immense and proved Roma can compete at the highest level, but three goals from set plays in rapid succession delivered a cruel ending to a night of dominance.

Wesley has revealed how Gasperini asked him to mark Vinicius in Roma's recent match against Real Madrid, describing the specific tactical instruction and the confidence the coach showed in him. Speaking to TNT Sports, the Brazilian defender explained that he expected Nahuel Molina to take the assignment on the left, noting that Molina has faced Vinicius many times before and shares a natural competitive edge with him as an Argentine against a Brazilian. However, Gasperini chose Wesley for the role, telling him: "I'm going to put you on Vini, I trust you." Wesley accepted the challenge, saying: "I thought, 'Let's go, let's see what happens'." Wesley was satisfied with his individual performance despite Roma's 3–4 defeat. He acknowledged that the result left a bitter taste, stating: "I was prepared and I liked my match. I still need to improve many things, but I'm happy with my individual performance. For the loss, though, I'm not satisfied, because we deserved to win." He also outlined Roma's tactical approach: the team attacked more heavily on the right because Gasperini knew that Real Madrid's left flank required a defender of Wesley's profile. On the specific duel with Vinicius, Wesley reflected: "Fortunately I managed to stop Vini. At one point I thought, 'Today it's me here, go to the other side and let's see what you can do there'." The arrival of Endrick as a substitute changed the dynamic, however. Wesley said: "He came on and got an assist and a goal. Total respect for him—that guy is brilliant and I'm a fan of his. But today I wasn't rooting for him."

José Mourinho praised Wesley after Real Madrid's match against Roma, saying he was struck by the Brazilian's quality up close. "I knew he was strong already, but seeing him in person was the first time," Mourinho told TNT Sports. The Portuguese manager, overseeing a squad filled with talent from Mbappé to Diomandé, noted that Real Madrid's eleven is formidable and capable of turning matches around within five minutes, even from two goals down—as they demonstrated against Roma. However, Wesley remains focused on Roma. Mourinho will have to be content watching him from a distance for now.