Roma honours Mourinho with stirring tributes as Champions League returns to Olimpico

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 two-goal lead with ten minutes remaining as Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback to win, with three late goals arriving from set-pieces. The defeat left the giallorossi with bitter regret over a match they controlled for large periods but failed to finish. In the post-match exchange, head coach Gasperini and former manager Mourinho offered sharply different accounts of what unfolded. Mourinho claimed Roma had run out of steam tactically and physically, suggesting Real Madrid's greater freshness made the difference in the closing stages. Gasperini rejected that interpretation entirely, defending his team's performance and physical condition throughout. Gasperini stated: "We tired? No, if anything Real Madrid were tired. We could have scored more goals—we outplayed them." Mourinho's assessment was blunt: "Roma were dead, both tactically and physically. Playing at a certain pace, you pay the price for it." Roma exited with their heads held high but left nursing considerable regret over how they surrendered a winning position so late in the match.