Roma will take their European night against Real Madrid as a test of nerve rather than an occasion for retreat. Gian Piero Gasperini intends to carry the confidence around the club into a packed Olimpico, with 70,000 supporters expected to give the evening its edge.
The draw at Como, earned while down to ten men, has reinforced a feeling that Roma can meet the occasion without abandoning their identity. Real arrive with Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, Arda Güler, Federico Valverde and Brahim Diaz, but Gasperini is not planning to dilute his attacking ideas simply because of the opposition.
Quick facts
- Roma host Real Madrid at the Olimpico on Wednesday evening.
- Gasperini is considering an attacking front line of Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen.
- Dybala underwent checks after finishing the Como match with pain in his hand.
- De Roon and Manu Koné are expected to anchor the midfield.
- Roma could use a 3-4-1-2, capable of shifting into a 3-4-2-1.
Cesc Fabregas, speaking before Como faced Roma, noted his admiration for Gasperini’s refusal to alter his approach according to the opponent. That trait has been evident in Europe for years: the coach believes that sitting back against elite sides invites greater pressure, while aggression and repeated attacking phases offer the better route.
His most recent meeting with Madrid came on 10 December 2024, when Atalanta lost 3-2 to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. Yet the match was far from a defensive exercise. Atalanta created enough to suggest they might have won a seven-goal contest, with Mario Pasalic, Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman involved from the start or during the game, alongside Lazar Samardzic, Mateo Retegui and Nicolò Zaniolo.
Roma’s likely selection follows the same logic. Soulé made an encouraging contribution after coming on at Como, while Dybala’s hand problem is not expected to keep him from a match of this scale. Malen is also pushing hard for his place after feeling wronged by the red card shown by referee Fabbri.
The Dutch forward has long viewed the Real Madrid fixture as a landmark in an outstanding 2026, and his anger could be channelled into Roma’s most ambitious selection. Tommaso Baldanzi Mora, more peripheral recently, and Lorenzo Pellegrini are presently behind the leading trio; Pellegrini made his first appearance of the season on Sunday.
Castro is also waiting for his opportunity after staying on the bench against both Inter and Como. His role may become more important in the coming league fixtures against Genoa and, likely, Napoli, when Malen is expected to serve a two-match suspension.
Behind the forwards, Marten de Roon and Koné are set to provide Roma’s midfield authority, with Lulli and Wesley operating on the flanks. The structure could begin as a 3-4-1-2 and become a 3-4-2-1, but the central principle is simpler: make Madrid defend rather than allow their individual quality to settle the contest.
For Roma, this is not merely a gala occasion against the former club of José Mourinho. It is another chapter in Gasperini’s effort to turn belief into a lasting habit, asking his side to press forward on a European stage instead of measuring themselves cautiously against the game’s biggest names.
