Pellegrini and De Roon proud after Champions League return to Olimpico

Kylian Mbappé and Manu Koné shared a moment of levity in the tunnel at the Olimpico shortly before kick-off in Roma's match against Real Madrid. The French striker gave his France national team colleague and Roma midfielder a playful push as both led children onto the pitch—a gesture caught on camera that was entirely good-natured between two players who know each other well and have built a strong bond over time. Among the youngsters was Leonardo Cerci, son of Alessio Cerci, the former Roma player who joined the club's academy last year. Mbappé himself later explained the moment to DAZN Spain's cameras, clarifying that there was no provocation involved, only a joke between two friends of long standing. The light-hearted exchange reflected the genuine rapport between the two midfield talents, who have spent time together at international level. The mood shifted sharply when Koné suffered a muscular problem during the match and was forced to leave the field in tears after just 17 minutes. Mbappé was among the first to check on his teammate's condition, a touching gesture amid what became a difficult evening for Roma. What had promised to be a starring performance from the French forward transformed into a night tempered by concern for an injured Roma player.

Real Madrid won 4-3 against Roma on 14 October in a match that carried special significance for José Mourinho, who returned to Stadio Olimpico as an opponent for the first time since his spell in charge of the club. Roma supporters demonstrated their affection for the former manager with dedicated banners honouring him throughout an intense encounter. After the final whistle, Mourinho greeted three Roma players — Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala — in conversation in the plaza outside Stadio Olimpico near the team coaches.

The Stadio Olimpico delivered a night of intense emotion as Roma faced Real Madrid, with the Curva Sud orchestrating an imposing choreography and the club's supporters marking the return of the Champions League anthem. The atmosphere reached remarkable levels: according to a video shared on social media, a fan measured noise levels during the crowd's rendition of Venditti's "Roma Roma" and recorded a peak of 131 decibels—a volume comparable to a jet engine at 100 metres, a Formula 1 motor, or an emergency siren at close range.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.

Real Madrid won 4-3 against Roma on 14 October in a match that carried special significance for José Mourinho, who returned to Stadio Olimpico as an opponent for the first time since his spell in charge of the club. Roma supporters demonstrated their affection for the former manager with dedicated banners honouring him throughout an intense encounter. After the final whistle, Mourinho greeted three Roma players — Gianluca Mancini, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala — in conversation in the plaza outside Stadio Olimpico near the team coaches.

Roman radio stations dissected Roma's 3–2 loss to Real Madrid yesterday, with broadcasters and former players offering mixed assessments of Gasperini's tactical display alongside praise for the team's attacking performance that ultimately collapsed in the final eight minutes. The match saw Roma lead until the 85th minute before conceding three goals in quick succession, a sequence that drew sharp criticism across multiple stations. Piero Torri (Radio Manà Manà Sport) captured the mood: "All stunned at the final whistle: players, fans and even Gasperini. A heavy blow yesterday. Before the 85th minute you lived what could have been and instead was not. In eight minutes you transformed what could have been a victory capable of giving a push for the future into a setback not insignificant, which I hope does not have repercussions on morale. Unacceptable to concede three goals like that. After 3–2 Roma completely collapsed." He added that Matías Soulé delivered his best performance of the season and questioned the timing of his substitution. Gasperini received ratings between 5 and 6.5 from the panel—Franco Melli (Radio Radio Mattino) gave him a 5, noting Roma "must define itself" as too many matches end in collapse, and criticised Lorenzo Pellegrini's introduction as "the most serious mistake." Simone Valdarchi (Radio Manà Manà Sport) highlighted that Roma conceded three goals from set-pieces in nearly identical fashion, calling it unusual and difficult to recall precedent for. Roberto Pruzzo (Radio Radio Mattino) observed the squad maintains too high a tempo early on and cannot sustain it through a full match. Luigi Ferrajolo (Radio Radio Mattino) argued that with Real Madrid's quality, an entertaining style of play should be non-negotiable. However, Alessandro Vocalelli (Radio Radio Mattino) and Nando Orsi (Radio Radio Mattino) defended the display, with Vocalelli crediting defensive errors on set-pieces rather than Gasperini's strategy, and Orsi noting Roma simply lost the ability to maintain possession and conceded from corners—a shortcoming rather than poor tactics. Injury concerns now loom. Manu Koné suffered an injury with return expected after the international break, while Paulo Dybala sustained a muscular strain in his calf area, making his availability for the Genoa match uncertain.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.

Gian Piero Gasperini must reshape Roma's lineup for the Genoa match after suffering disappointment against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Donyell Malen is suspended, while Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala both exited injured and are unlikely to be available, forcing the coach to hand opportunities to squad members who have seen limited action. Rodrígo Mora, Niccolò Pisilli and Santiago Castro are candidates to step up. Castro, who cost Roma 35 million euros, has been largely sidelined by Malen's form this season, receiving three consecutive starts on the bench. The article notes that Roma have become more goalscoring and incisive with Malen in the team, but there will come a point when he needs rest—and Genoa offers Castro the chance to prove himself. Pisilli, described as one of Gasperini's special projects, has been transformed by the coach over recent months and given the confidence to dominate in Serie A; he is not yet fully there but close. He will likely partner Marten de Roon at midfield. Mora, identified as among the positives from the Champions League night, is also ready to start. Castro has struck the woodwork on occasions but has been unable to convert chances, though the article suggests his moment has arrived. Pisilli has consistently made the most of his opportunities and will do so again. The Genoa fixture represents Castro's chance to break from Malen's shadow and show Gasperini he is more than a backup, leaving his own mark in giallorosso colours.

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.