Roma’s Champions League night against Real Madrid became a reminder of how quickly a commanding performance can be overturned at this level. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side led 3-1 at the Olimpico and had played without fear, but three Real Madrid set-piece goals in seven punishing minutes changed the shape of the evening.
A strong Roma performance undone late on
The occasion had been framed by a large Olimpico banner carrying the words “sine metu” — without fear — and Roma followed that instruction from the opening stages. They took the game to a Real Madrid side with an imposing recent record against Italian opposition in Europe.
Madrid had won 20 of their previous 22 Champions League meetings with Italian clubs. Mourinho’s own group-stage and league-phase record with the Spanish club, across his first spell from 2010 to 2013 and his current tenure, stood at just one defeat in 20 matches before this visit to Rome.
- Roma found an early breakthrough through Marten de Roon, whose goal was his first in the Champions League.
- Donyell Malen then struck twice, continuing a remarkable scoring run of 23 goals in 28 appearances since joining Roma.
- Matias Soulé brought energy and unpredictability to Roma’s attacking play, while Paulo Dybala supplied quality until his departure from the pitch.
- Manu Koné also made an important contribution before a serious injury forced him out of the contest.
- At 3-1, Roma appeared capable of resisting anything Real Madrid could produce.
- Instead, Madrid scored three times from dead-ball situations over seven minutes, turning the night on its head.
Mourinho’s bench changes alter the contest
For Mourinho, the return to the Olimpico carried particular weight. The former Roma coach remains deeply admired by many supporters, yet he delivered a harsh lesson in game management against his old club.
His substitutions reflected the depth available to him, with Florentino Pérez’s squad offering options that Roma could not easily match late in the game.
- Denzel Dumfries was replaced by Arda Güler.
- Marc Cucurella made way for Álvaro Carreras.
- Ousmane Diomandé was withdrawn for Espi.
- Vinicius was replaced by Endrick.
- Aurélien Tchouaméni left the field for Bernardo Silva.
Those arrivals joined a group already featuring Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde. Mourinho’s decisions proved decisive as Madrid pressed their advantage in the closing stages.
A familiar Roma wound
The collapse also recalled another recent frustration for Roma, who had previously allowed Inter to recover from a two-goal deficit. Against Real Madrid, the punishment was even more severe: a two-goal advantage became a defeat as the set pieces kept arriving.
Mourinho’s reading of the closing moments echoed the well-known line associated with former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra: “The game is not finished until it is finished.” In Rome, Madrid ensured that Roma’s finest spell of the evening was not enough to decide the result.
