Mourinho says Roma were 'dead', Gasperini hits back after Real Madrid comeback

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.

José Mourinho, Real Madrid's manager and former Roma coach, analysed his side's performance against Roma at Stadio Olimpico in the second matchday of the Champions League League Phase. Mourinho described the match as two distinct contests: "There were two matches. Roma was superior in all aspects in one match. Then there were 20 minutes where it was impossible to stop Real Madrid. There were two distinct halves. They surprised us at the start, with Soulé more on the flank compared to previous matches. They created superiority on that flank and it was difficult for us to control it." Mourinho acknowledged Roma's strength in the opening period but highlighted Real Madrid's second-half dominance. He criticised the second goal his team conceded as unacceptable at this level of competition. After Real Madrid took a 3–1 lead, Mourinho made substitutions, believing the match was decided. He noted that Roma's players physically and tactically could not maintain the intensity to match Real Madrid's attacking football. "The poor Hermoso, after 70 minutes of Diomande, saw Endrick come on and couldn't stop him, just as Koulierakis couldn't either," Mourinho said, referencing the centre-backs' struggle against Real Madrid's forward pressure in the closing stages. When asked about his gesture at the final whistle—a dismissive finger movement—Mourinho clarified: "Nothing, I was celebrating. I didn't run towards the Curva Nord, where our fans were, and towards the Sud it wasn't possible because of the extreme respect I have. If I wanted to say 'I don't give up'? No, honestly no."

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.