On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Real Madrid came back from a 3-1 deficit and won 4-3 against Roma in the Champions League league phase with six points after two matches in the season. The Madrid team had a scoreline of 3-1 up to 83 minutes until they scored three goals in seven minutes to win three points against their team in Rome.
The game was filled with many subplots going into it. It was Mourinho who had returned to the city in which he once coached Roma, receiving a hero’s welcome from the home crowd. Kylian Mbappé had lined up for his 100th Champions League appearance.
Madrid also appeared third in the rankings following their victory against Inter Milan with 2-1 away goals on matchday one despite not showing any eagerness before their game and Roma trying to win in Europe after disappointing matches.
Roma got off to a good start with four shots from far in the opening minutes, keeping Thibaut Courtois busy. Madrid could not manage to get into their groove, and Roma got their reward in the 20th minute when Marten de Roon scored from distance, giving them a one-goal advantage.
Madrid soon equalized for Roma’s goal. In the 25th minute, Mbappé took a shot from distance that bounced off one of the players entering the goal, drawing the scores even at 1-1.
Madrid earned themselves a foot in the door in what had been a one-sided start to the game for Roma. Jude Bellingham nearly helped Madrid take the lead just before the half-time whistle when he hit Vinícius Júnior's cutback wide.
Roma got the second half to themselves initially. Donyell Malen netted in the 51st and again in the 57th minute to make it 3-1, and fans at the Olimpico could sense the significance of the scoreline. There seemed to be a goal for Mbappé after the hour mark, but it was rightly ruled as offside by the flag.
Madrid required a spark, and in the 58th minute Mourinho opted to replace Vinícius and sent 20-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick into the fray.
Arda Güler, who had been sitting on the substitutes' bench for the start of the game, was also among the attacking reinforcements late in the game. Roma were looking comfortable, and nothing seemed imminent to change that.
A turning point came in the 83rd minute in the form of a set piece. Endrick nodded on the ball from a corner kick, and despite goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini preventing the header from going in, substitute Carlos Espí was there to put the ball home from close range.
Exactly two minutes later, Endrick found the net once again, and it was his equalizer that made it 3-3. It is safe to say that his consecutive strikes became decisive, since the first helped Espí score, and the second helped draw parity.
The match-winner was scored in the 90th minute. Güler assisted the playmaker on that occasion, and Antonio Rüdiger, a former Roma player, found the net with his shot making the score read 4-3. All three goals were scored from corner kicks, and all of them happened when Vinícius was no longer on the field.
The numbers clearly indicate that the teams were evenly matched throughout the whole match. Madrid had 16 shots compared to 14 by Roma, with 7 shots on target compared to Roma's 8.
Madrid also won more corners, 9 to Roma's 5. On top of that, Madrid committed fewer fouls, 8 compared to Roma's 15, and earned one yellow card compared to Roma's 3.
The first half was played better by Roma, whereas Madrid's substitutes made the difference in the second half. French official François Letexier was the referee of the match.
On the night with plenty of headlines, the standout event for Mbappé was reaching the milestone of 100 appearances in the Champions League. However, Mourinho’s attitude after the game was fueled by a different reason. He unleashed his fury at the timing of the announcement of Vinícius' four-game suspension, which was issued on that night.
Vinícius featured for the opening game of the suspension, but it spells trouble for Madrid, who will lack the main player in the attack at this critical time in the season. The burden of attacking responsibility in the coming games will lie on Mbappé, Güler, Endrick, and Bellingham.
Madrid have endured a tough schedule recently, and they needed a confidence booster. The victory when trailing 1-3 to a dominant team is precisely what is needed to restore confidence in the side, but it also reveals some defensive shortcomings.
Three goals allowed by Madrid in the Olimpico is not exactly what Mourinho wanted before the next game.
Defeat will be bitter for Roma as well since scoring three goals against Real Madrid and still losing will be remembered for long, and now the team does not have any wins in Europe's highest league this season.
Madrid play RB Leipzig in the next league phase game that is set to take place on October 21. Roma need to recover fast and figure out how to translate good plays into wins.
