Roma hold Como in goalless draw amid emergency and character

Real Madrid resumed training on 12 October at Valdebebas to prepare for their Champions League fixture against Roma on Wednesday at 21:00, but controversy continues to swirl over Vinicius Jr's red card and José Mourinho's refusal to attend a press conference following Saturday's 1–0 victory over Villarreal. Vinicius apologised to supporters and teammates on social media for his dismissal after pulling Saliba's hair, but then shared an Instagram story describing the refereeing system as a "mafia" and citing other instances where he felt unfairly sanctioned compared to other players. Television footage from Movistar shows the forward pushing a Liga official manning the pitchside VAR monitor—an action that could result in a suspension of two to three additional matches. The referee committee (Cta) is concerned by Real Madrid's hardline stance towards officials, fearing every match will become a trial of the match official. Tensions have escalated since Mourinho showed photographs after Real Madrid's clash with Atlético, and intensified further against Villarreal. Real Madrid TV amplified the dispute by labelling the incident a "disgrace" and referencing "Liga de Negreira" in the aftermath of Vinicius's expulsion. La Vanguardia notes that Mourinho's arrival has sharpened the confrontation. The Portuguese coach initially stated he trusted "Spanish referees, I believe in their honesty" but has since changed course, putting match officials in his sights. Mourinho will return for a press conference on Tuesday at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, a venue he knows well, before facing Sevilla on Saturday ahead of the Clásico.

Roma will face Real Madrid on Wednesday at 21:00 in the Champions League, a fixture that carries particular weight given the history between the clubs. Gian Piero Gasperini spoke after Roma's draw at Como, saying of the challenge ahead: "If I look at Real Madrid, I see a squad of incredible champions, both on the pitch and on the bench. We face one of the strongest formations in Europe overall, one that has also done extraordinary business in the market this year." Roma's last meeting with Real Madrid in continental competition came in the league phase of the Champions League, where the Spanish side won both encounters — 3–0 at the Bernabéu and a second victory at the Olimpico, with goals from Bale and Vázquez. Roma's last victory over Real Madrid dates to the 2007–08 season under Luciano Spalletti, when the club knocked the Spanish side out at the Champions League round of 16, winning 2–1 both at home and away. Gasperini hopes to follow in the footsteps of that Roma team, which made a strong impression across Europe.

Marten de Roon delivered one of Roma's standout performances in the match against Como, silencing doubters within the fanbase and justifying head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's confidence in the midfielder. Playing at the Sinigaglia, de Roon covered more ground than any other player on the pitch, recording 11.657 kilometres and effectively taking on the statistical mantle from Bryan Cristante, who has typically led Roma in that metric. The Dutch midfielder also registered five tackles—three of which he won—and won six of eleven duels, but it was his tactical intelligence that truly shaped Roma's equilibrium. Gasperini brought de Roon to Roma specifically for displays of this calibre, and the Como fixture laid bare his reasoning. His positional awareness was exemplified by a crucial intervention on Couto, whom he stopped after the forward had been released into space at pace. The 35-year-old's physical and athletic durability proved remarkable given his age and his continued work to regain full match fitness. His contribution became particularly vital at a moment when Gasperini must manage without Cristante. De Roon completed the match with six defensive actions and reached a top speed of 27.627 km/h, underscoring his endurance across ninety minutes. The former Atalanta player has now repaid Gasperini's backing and confirmed his value as a key resource for the squad.

Roma will face Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday 14 October at 21:00 at the Stadio Olimpico, the second round of fixtures after opening with a 1–1 draw away to Fenerbahce. Real Madrid enter on three points following a 2–1 victory over Inter at the Bernabéu. Gian Piero Gasperini's side are without goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who has suffered a stress fracture to the fifth toe and will miss several weeks, leaving Pierluigi Gollini to start after featuring in the 0–0 draw at Como. Bryan Cristante remains uncertain with a right knee problem that forced him to miss the Como trip. Roma's last four Champions League meetings with Real Madrid have ended in defeat without scoring, making this fixture a chance to reverse a poor record. The clubs have met 12 times in the competition, with Real Madrid winning eight, Roma winning once and three draws recorded. Gasperini is expected to deploy a 3–4–2–1 formation, with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in defence, Nahuel Molina and Wesley on the flanks, and Marten de Roon partnering Manu Koné in midfield. Paulo Dybala will operate behind the forward, with Matías Soulé in contention after starting on the bench at Como and Donyell Malen leading the line. Malen's red card against Como applies only to Serie A and will not prevent him playing in Europe. José Mourinho's Real Madrid will likely field a 4–2–3–1. Thibaut Courtois starts in goal with a back four potentially featuring Matthijs de Ligt, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferland Mendy, though alternatives include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and Álex Carreras. Yan Diomande, who scored the winner against Villarreal last weekend, is being monitored as a threat to Vinícius Júnior for a starting berth. Federico Valverde and Tchouaméni will anchor midfield, with Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius supporting Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid are without Éder Militão, who has returned to training but will miss Roma and subsequent fixtures, and Mendy is not included on the club's UEFA squad list. The match will be broadcast exclusively in Italy on Amazon Prime Video, with build-up coverage starting at 19:30 and kick-off at 21:00 on Wednesday 14 October. Official team sheets will be released approximately one hour before the start.

Roma held Como to a 0–0 draw on 11 October, a result that dominated debate across Roman radio stations and prompted praise for the team's character and tactical flexibility under Gasperini. The match turned on Donyell Malen's red card in the second half; while some commentators accepted the dismissal as correct, others questioned the sequence of play and the referee's positioning. Fabio Petruzzi of Rete Sport struck an optimistic note, saying: "If there is an anti-Inter, it is only Roma." He acknowledged that Malen's absence weakened Roma's attacking threat, noting: "The only problem is that there at Inter, if Lautaro doesn't score Thuram scores, Pio Esposito, Calhanoglu… at Roma if Malen doesn't score we have a bit of a struggle." Multiple voices highlighted Gasperini's tactical acumen in the second half, with Roma playing a notably deeper defensive block after going down to ten men. Francesca Ferrazza of Tele Radio Stereo remarked: "I really liked the lucidity of Gasperini. The boss celebrated at the final whistle because Roma is there." On Malen's expulsion, debate split between those who saw it as inevitable and those who questioned the handling. Checco Oddo Casano argued that referee Fabbri should have blown for a foul on the Dutch winger before the incident in question, while Lorenzo Pes suggested: "That Malen challenge was a yellow-card offence, but the red was not outrageous and for that reason VAR should not have intervened." Roberto Pruzzo of Radio Radio added: "A great referee blows the whistle for the foul, and having not done so five seconds earlier pulls out the yellow." Nando Orsi was more direct: "The red is clear and that's it." On Roma's wider performance, Alessio Nardo praised the team's "ability to reinvent itself with a low block almost Mourinho-style in the second half when down to ten," while Mario Corsi stressed Roma's pressing and suffocation of Como, calling it "a display of character and strength." Paulo Dybala drew mixed assessment: David Rossi noted his early miss but credited his later contributions, saying he has "become another player" operating as an offensive midfielder rather than the lethal second striker of his past. The broadcast coverage touched on goalkeeper changes, with Mario Mattioli defending Pierluigi Gollini's showing in place of the injured Mile Svilar, and reinforced the view that this result—and Roma's defensive solidity throughout the season—marks genuine progress under the manager's methods.

Pierluigi Gollini delivered a man-of-the-match performance in place of the absent Mile Svilar as Roma won at Como, with Gasperini's trusted contingent from his Atalanta days forming the spine of a dominant defensive display. Gollini, who had played only one match in nearly two years before this fixture, was repeatedly tested by Nico Paz and denied him four times. Marten de Roon, another Gasperini recruit, was among the standout performers, while Gianluca Mancini marshalled the defence alongside Mario Hermoso and Evan N'Dicka, offering little to one of Italy's most attacking sides. Mancini drew particular focus. He had faced criticism for early-season lapses against Atalanta and Inter, yet Roma's defensive record speaks loudly: three goals conceded in Serie A, the best in the division. Only Arsenal, across all competitions, has a better tally. Despite his occasional mistakes, Mancini's concentration never wavered. Seven years at Roma have made him a son of the capital, evidenced by his rejection of Inter's advances. Gasperini shaped the defender during his time at Atalanta, and Mancini has grown into the role. After the match, Gasperini explained: "The group put him in the best conditions." The Atalanta contingent—players the coach brought in—seized the spotlight at Como and may yet dominate again this season. Roma face Real Madrid next. The assignment is among the season's heaviest: marking Vinicius and others. It will be the toughest examination for Italy's best defence. Mancini arrives at the right moment—his statistics and Gasperini's confidence on his side, and the doubters waiting to be silenced.

Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen will face Real Madrid at the Olimpico on Wednesday evening with unfinished business against the Spanish club. Both players have previously suffered Champions League elimination at the hands of Madrid in final-stage competition. Dybala was on the pitch for Juventus in the 2017 Champions League final on 3 June at Cardiff, where his team was defeated 4–1. Less than a year later, in April 2018, he faced Madrid again in the quarter-finals at the Stadium, where Juventus lost 0–3 and Dybala was sent off at the 66th minute for a second yellow card. Malen experienced similar disappointment on 1 June 2024, when he came on late in Borussia Dortmund's Champions League final against Real Madrid at Wembley, which ended in a 2–0 defeat with goals from Carvajal and Vinicius. Wednesday's match holds particular significance for Roma, as the Olimpico will host a Champions League fixture for the first time in 2801 days—the last occasion being 12 February 2019, when Roma beat Porto 2–1. Both Dybala and Malen now have the chance to rewrite their narratives against Madrid, this time wearing Roma colours in a contest that carries symbolic weight in the club's return to Europe's elite competition. Malen will play following a red card he received at Como in the previous domestic fixture, which forces him to miss the Serie A match but carries no suspension in the Champions League. Dybala arrived at this fixture after a high-quality performance against Como, though once again without a goal. The Argentine has spoken recently about his desire to bring Roma back to the Champions League and his expectations of the Olimpico crowd against one of the world's most decorated teams. For both players, the match represents more than a simple competitive encounter. Cardiff for Dybala, Wembley for Malen—two Champions League finals lost to the same opponent. Now, with Roma, comes a fresh opportunity to script a different ending.

Roma host Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico in the second round of the Champions League, a fixture that pits Donyell Malen against Kylian Mbappé in a battle between two of Europe's most dangerous attacking players. The giallorossi will look to Paulo Dybala's quality and Malen's offensive threat to counter a Real Madrid side laden with world-class talent including Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé. Malen, born in 1999, brings speed, penetrative runs and the ability to find the finish quickly from positions far from the penalty area. The Dutch forward can operate as a central striker or from a wider, deeper position, using his acceleration and mobility to break free from defenders. Under Gasperini's system, these qualities provide vertical outlets and allow him to capitalize on his teammates' passes. His chief strength lies in changing tempo: he can drop deep to engage in combination play, then attack the space behind the opposition's back line. Right-footed, he typically seeks a rapid shot without giving his marker time to recover. Roma can unlock him most effectively by accompanying his movements with well-timed passes—Malen becomes particularly dangerous when receiving on the run with a direct line to goal. Mbappé, born in 1998, requires no introduction. He combines speed and progression with a diverse skill set that makes him lethal both in open space and near the box. He can occupy centre-forward or drift left, positions from which he enjoys cutting infield onto his right foot to shoot. Oriented control, dribbling and sharp execution allow him to turn seemingly innocent ball reception into a clear chance. Defending against him demands close attention to the gap between the lines and coverage of depth; giving him space invites his explosive runs, while pressing without cover favours his one-on-one ability. The comparison between the two attackers hinges on Roma's ability to press space and apply continuous tempo changes to unsettle Madrid's defenders. Malen provides mobility and verticality; Mbappé adds a broader range of individual solutions, making him one of Real Madrid's principal attacking reference points.

Luca Fatiga, a former assistant to José Mourinho at Fenerbahce, said Roma's ownership will have "one unique regret: not managing a great coach like the boss well in his final year" after Mourinho's departure. Speaking to ReteSport, Fatiga defended Gasperini's tenure and backed the club to compete in the Champions League. Fatiga praised Gasperini's composure and identity, noting that "after Roma–Juventus last season, many would have panicked, but he transmitted calm and continues to do so." He characterised Mourinho's exit as a missed opportunity: "There was a unique cohesion. For José you go to war without hesitation and with joy. The strength was intellectual honesty." He added that Roma's ownership "has undertaken a virtuous path" but squandered the chance to build on what Mourinho had created. On Wednesday's Champions League fixture against Real Madrid, Fatiga said: "I wouldn't rule out a draw because I've seen Roma play well. The Champions League must be a great celebration for Gasperini's squad; I hope they experience it as an opportunity to grow and concentrate heavily on the league, which could become interesting." He acknowledged the emotional weight of the match: "Mercoledì will be a fixture I'll feel deeply—on one side is a person I'm close to, on the other is Roma." Fatiga also addressed Roma's recent fixture, criticising the referee's conduct in the Como match: "The game was distorted by the referee's management, not by Malen but by Fabbri's behaviour towards Como's captain, who should have been cautioned twice but was allowed to do as he pleased. Roma fans can be satisfied."