Rome’s Olympic Stadium will stage a reunion heavy with recent memory on Wednesday, 14 October, when José Mourinho brings Real Madrid to face Roma in the second round of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase. The Portuguese coach returns to the club he led from 2021 until January 2024, this time in charge of the competition’s 15-time winners.
Key takeaways
- Roma began their European campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahçe.
- Real Madrid opened with a 2-1 home victory against Inter Milan.
- Goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante are unavailable for the hosts.
- Vinícius Júnior can play in Europe despite his domestic red card against Villarreal.
- Madrid have won eight of the clubs’ 12 Champions League meetings and have taken the last four without conceding.
Mourinho returns to a familiar Roman stage
The match at the Stadio Olimpico, scheduled for 16:00 Brasília time, places Mourinho opposite a Roma side with whom he won the 2022 Conference League. His return comes at the helm of a Madrid team seeking to build on an encouraging start in the Champions League.
Real Madrid defeated Inter 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in their first league-phase fixture. They then beat Villarreal 1-0 in the eighth round of La Liga, with Yan Diomandé scoring the decisive goal. Vinícius started that game among the substitutes, had a goal disallowed and was later sent off, but the sanction applies only to domestic competition.
Mourinho is expected to lead an attack centred on Kylian Mbappé, with Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler also set for prominent roles. Vinícius is competing with Diomandé for a starting place after the latter’s impact against Villarreal.
Roma are still looking for their first Champions League win of the season following the draw in Turkey. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team also travelled to Como for a goalless Serie A draw last time out and remain unbeaten after six league matches.
Roma reshuffle while Madrid defend a dominant record
Gasperini must plan without Svilar, whose foot injury is expected to open the door for Pierluigi Gollini in goal. Cristante is also sidelined by a physical problem. Further forward, Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen are expected to feature, while Matías Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini are competing for selection.
The historical numbers give Madrid a clear edge. Across 12 Champions League encounters, the Spanish side have recorded eight victories, with Roma winning three and one match ending level. Madrid’s current run is particularly stark: four consecutive wins over the Italian club, each accompanied by a clean sheet.
The projected Roma side is Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Koné and Wesley; Dybala and Soulé; Malen. Real Madrid are expected to line up with Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen and Cucurella; Valverde and Tchouaméni; Arda Güler, Bellingham and Vinícius or Diomandé; Mbappé.
The fixture will be shown on TNT and HBO Max.
