Rome prepares for a Champions League reunion shaped by José Mourinho’s return and a Roma side still finding its balance under Gian Piero Gasperini. The Italian club’s supporters are expected to honour their former coach when Real Madrid arrive, while the visitors bring a lineup built around Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Gasperini said Mourinho’s connection with the capital remains clear. “The fans have had a very strong affection for Mourinho, and he deserves the recognition they will give him,” the Roma coach said before the match.
The Roma manager also described Madrid as an exceptionally dangerous opponent, while admitting his own team require further time to settle into the changes introduced this season.
Quick facts
- Roma start with Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala and Matias Soulé in attack.
- Real Madrid leave Arda Güler among the substitutes, with Yan Diomande selected from the start.
- Mbappé has eight goals and two assists, Madrid’s leading attacking return.
- Malen has scored six times and supplied one assist for Roma; Dybala has four goals.
- The last official meeting ended in a 2-0 Real Madrid win in the 2018 Champions League group stage.
Mourinho avoided becoming drawn into recent refereeing debate before the European tie. He said he trusted every official, though he suggested attention should be paid only to the opening minute of Saturday’s league match against Villarreal.
For Mourinho, the trip also carries personal weight. His spell in Rome earned him enduring affection from the club’s public, and the Portuguese coach spoke of his emotion at returning to the Italian capital while stressing that he remains true to himself.
Roma’s attacking burden
Roma’s most productive figures have been Malen and Dybala. Malen enters the Madrid match with six goals and an assist, while Dybala has struck four times, making them the principal attacking reference points for Gasperini’s side.
Gasperini has chosen Pierluigi Gollini in goal, behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina, Marten de Roon, Manu Koné and Wesley form the midfield, with Dybala, Soulé and Malen leading the front line.
Roma’s substitutes are Giorgio De Marzi, Devis Vásquez, Devyne Rensch, Koulierakis, Balerdi, Emanuele Lulli, Ghilardi, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Niccolò Pisilli, Rodrigo Mora and Castro.
Madrid’s selection calls
Mbappé has set the pace for Madrid with eight goals and two assists, while Bellingham has added three goals and two assists. Mourinho has retained Bellingham in a central attacking role, with Vinicius operating wide and Mbappé at centre-forward.
Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni are selected as the double pivot. Diomande comes into the side, while Güler must wait on the bench.
Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries are named at full-back, with Antonio Rüdiger and Ibrahima Konaté paired in central defence.
Dean Huijsen also returns to Rome, a city connected to an earlier stage of his career. Mourinho was Roma coach in 2023 when the club sought a young centre-back, and Huijsen, then 18 and moving between Juventus’s senior and reserve teams, became the prospect they pursued.
The sides last met in a 2019 pre-season friendly, drawing 2-2 before Roma won the penalty shoot-out 5-4. Their most recent competitive encounter came a year earlier, when Madrid won 2-0 in the fifth round of the Champions League group phase.
