Real Madrid escaped Rome with a 4-3 Champions League win after turning a two-goal deficit into a remarkable late recovery. Roma had led 3-1 against Mourinho’s former club, exposing Madrid’s lack of control in midfield during a direct approach that repeatedly handed the initiative to the home side.
Quick facts
- Roma moved 3-1 ahead before Madrid’s late response.
- Arda Güler delivered three corners in seven minutes.
- Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scored from those set pieces.
- The three-goal burst secured Madrid’s victory and maintained their perfect return.
- Vinicius had an unusually ineffective night before the late turnaround.
Madrid’s depth eventually rescued a difficult European evening. Players who had been short of opportunities under Mourinho made the difference when the match appeared to be slipping away.
Güler was central to the reversal, placing three successive corners into dangerous areas. Espí began the fightback, Endrick followed, and Rüdiger completed the turnaround as Madrid struck three times in seven minutes.
The comeback offered a sharp warning as well as three points. Madrid’s decision to bypass midfield with a more direct game had helped Roma establish superiority, while Vinicius struggled to make his usual impact.
In Rome, however, Madrid found answers from the bench and from players eager to seize their moment. The result preserved a perfect Champions League return, but the manner of it underlined the need for greater midfield balance on the next European night.
