Roma 3–1 Real Madrid: De Roon and Malen seal Champions League statement win

Roma suffered a double injury blow during their Champions League second matchday fixture against Real Madrid. Manu Koné was forced off after 15 minutes, and Paulo Dybala did not return for the second half due to a muscular strain, having completed the first 45 minutes. Rodrigo Mora was introduced as Dybala's replacement. The injuries represent a significant loss to head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's squad depth ahead of what could be a crucial week of fixtures. Dybala's availability will be assessed in the coming days as Roma look to recover both players.

Paulo Dybala was forced off at half-time during Roma's match against Real Madrid on 14 October after sustaining a muscle strain, compounding Gian Piero Gasperini's injury problems. The Argentine forward had featured prominently in the first half before the injury brought an early end to his involvement. Rodrigo Mora replaced him on the pitch, returning to action after exactly one month out; his last appearance had come on 14 September in Roma's fixture against Torino. Dybala's condition will be assessed ahead of Roma's forthcoming fixtures. The setback follows the earlier loss of Manu Koné to injury in the same competition.

Paulo Dybala sustained a muscular injury during Roma's match against Real Madrid at the Olimpico and was substituted at half-time by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. The Argentine forward did not return for the second half, and his condition will be assessed in the coming hours. The extent of the problem and recovery timeline remain unclear pending medical examination. Roma's injury crisis deepened on the evening of 14 October as Dybala joined an expanding list of sidelined players. Manu Koné suffered an injury in the first half of the same match, while Svilar and Cristante were already unavailable. Gasperini must now wait for assessments to determine whether Dybala's issue is minor or a more significant injury that will keep him out for an extended period. The club faces a particularly demanding fixture schedule in the coming weeks.

Marten de Roon scored in Roma's Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Olimpico on 14 October, putting the side ahead in the 20th minute with a well-struck effort from outside the box. At 35 years and 199 days, the Dutch midfielder became Roma's oldest foreign goalscorer in Champions League and Coppa dei Campioni history. The previous record was held by Gabriel Omar Batistuta, who scored against Ajax in 2002 at the age of 33 years and 312 days.

Roma return to Champions League football at the Olimpico for the first time in seven years, facing Real Madrid, the competition's most successful winner. Gasperini opts for a three-at-the-back formation with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence. Wesley and Molina patrol the flanks, with Koné and De Roon in midfield. Soulé plays behind Dybala and Malen in attack. Roma (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Wesley, Koné, De Roon, Molina; Soulé; Dybala, Malen. Substitutes: De Marzi, Vásquez, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Koulierakis, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Mora, Castro, Pellegrini. Manager: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé. Substitutes: Lunin, Mestre, Dumfries, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé, Endrick, Espí, Pitarch. Manager: Mourinho.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Real Madrid, kick-off 21:00 this evening. Konstantinos Koulierakis returns to the travelling party, while Devis Vásquez is included among the goalkeepers. The squad list features 24 players across all four positions. In defence, Gasperini has selected Devyne Rensch, Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfield options comprise Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. The forward line includes Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Prime Video arranged a special pre-match surprise for Donyell Malen ahead of Roma's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, bringing his mother Mariska Manshanden, grandmother Maria Vogelzang-Van Ooy and René De Kort, youth coach at VV Success where Malen began his career, on air. Malen's grandmother recalled his earliest encounters with football: "He played at home, shooting between the table legs. We also played stop-and-shoot outside the house—I'd pass to him. After an hour I'd say: 'Don, that's enough.' I have to say Donyell helped me recover from a serious illness I had at the time." His mother expanded on his childhood drive: "He wanted to play more and more, never stopping. My mother was ill when Donyell was born. She started taking walks with him, and he's keen to say he was the reason she recovered. Donyell stayed with my parents while I worked nights as a taxi driver. When he was four, my father told me he wanted to go to the football field, but they said he was too young." De Kort remembered a formative moment at VV Success: "One day I looked around and saw Donyell outside the pitch juggling the ball. 100, 101, 102, 103... I thought I had to get him in. I gave him a shirt, he went on and scored ten goals and we won 10–9. For his grandfather, Donyell was everything—they always played together in the Westerland pitch." Malen's mother noted that field now bears her father's name. De Kort shared another anecdote: "He tried out all the tricks with Donyell. One Saturday he turned up with a bad back, struggling to walk. I asked him: 'What were you thinking? You shouldn't be doing backflips at 65!' She also recalled one of his early goals: "Justin Kluivert took a corner and Donyell scored a bicycle kick that won us the tournament." Regarding his life in Rome, his mother said: "He talks about the Colosseum all the time—he went there on 5 October. He loves the city so much. Once he was leaving the stadium and a supporter bowed to him—absolute madness. For me, though, he's always just Donyell, my son." On his Roma form: "I think Donyell always wanted to express himself at these levels, but many things have to work together. Now I believe he's playing in the right position. He likes being at centre-forward and I think his teammates are helping him express himself best in that role. He's already played many Champions League matches, but this time it's different. We see him happy. We always knew what he was capable of, but now he's showing everyone his qualities. And you haven't seen everything yet: there's much more."

Roma reached the Stadio Olimpico on 14 October ahead of their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid. Thousands of supporters gathered outside the stadium to greet the team, singing and setting off flares ahead of the big match. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini spoke to the significance of the fixture, saying: "Roma have been waiting for these matches for years. We must limit Real Madrid's speed." The squad sheets revealed Molina in the lineup, with Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen deployed in attack. Real Madrid's manager made a surprise selection choice by fielding Alexander-Arnold, a decision that left Roma concerned given its historical precedent. Separately, vandals damaged a mural of José Mourinho, spraying paint across the former Roma manager's face. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic praised Roma's quality, remarking: "Roma is the team that impressed me most in Serie A. The fans are unique."

Roma return to Champions League football at the Olimpico for the first time in seven years, facing Real Madrid, the competition's most successful winner. Gasperini opts for a three-at-the-back formation with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence. Wesley and Molina patrol the flanks, with Koné and De Roon in midfield. Soulé plays behind Dybala and Malen in attack. Roma (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Wesley, Koné, De Roon, Molina; Soulé; Dybala, Malen. Substitutes: De Marzi, Vásquez, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Koulierakis, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Mora, Castro, Pellegrini. Manager: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé. Substitutes: Lunin, Mestre, Dumfries, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé, Endrick, Espí, Pitarch. Manager: Mourinho.

Roma return to Champions League football at the Olimpico for the first time in seven years, facing Real Madrid, the competition's most successful winner. Gasperini opts for a three-at-the-back formation with Mancini, N'Dicka and Hermoso in defence. Wesley and Molina patrol the flanks, with Koné and De Roon in midfield. Soulé plays behind Dybala and Malen in attack. Roma (3-4-1-2): Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Wesley, Koné, De Roon, Molina; Soulé; Dybala, Malen. Substitutes: De Marzi, Vásquez, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Koulierakis, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Mora, Castro, Pellegrini. Manager: Gasperini. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Rüdiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé. Substitutes: Lunin, Mestre, Dumfries, Huijsen, Carreras, Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Díaz, Diomandé, Endrick, Espí, Pitarch. Manager: Mourinho.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League league-phase match against Real Madrid, kick-off 21:00 this evening. Konstantinos Koulierakis returns to the travelling party, while Devis Vásquez is included among the goalkeepers. The squad list features 24 players across all four positions. In defence, Gasperini has selected Devyne Rensch, Koulierakis, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi. Midfield options comprise Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora. The forward line includes Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.

Gian Piero Gasperini has named his squad for Roma's Champions League League Phase match against Real Madrid this evening at the Olimpico, with 23 players available. Mile Svilar is unavailable due to a fractured finger, leaving Pierluigi Gollini, Giorgio De Marzi and Devis Vásquez as the goalkeepers in contention. Konstantinos Koulierakis has returned to full training in recent days and is regularly available for selection. Bryan Cristante, however, remains unavailable. The squad spans all four outfield positions, with defenders including Devyne Rensch, Evan N'Dicka, Nahuel Molina, Mario Hermoso, Gianluca Mancini, Leonardo Balerdi, Wesley, Emanuele Lulli and Daniele Ghilardi; midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli and Rodrigo Mora; and forwards Santiago Castro, Donyell Malen, Matías Soulé and Paulo Dybala.