Roma welcome Real Madrid to the Olimpico on Wednesday night with the Champions League league phase already asking questions of both clubs. Kick-off is at 21:00 on 14 October, and the occasion brings José Mourinho back to the stadium he once made his own with the Giallorossi, this time in the opposing dugout.
For Gian Piero Gasperini, the second matchday of the 2026/27 campaign offers a demanding European test but also a night with the particular weight of Rome. Mourinho’s return adds another thread to an already high-profile meeting, with the Portuguese coach facing a club and a support that remain closely tied to his spell in the capital.
Roma must do without goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante through injury. Gasperini is expected to turn to Pierluigi Gollini in goal, behind a back three of Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina and Wesley could operate on the flanks, with Marten de Roon and Manu Koné in central midfield.
Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé are likely to play behind Donyell Malen, giving Roma creativity between the lines and a direct reference point up front. Lorenzo Pellegrini, Niccolò Pisilli and the other available midfield options provide alternatives from the bench as Gasperini manages a squad missing two important regulars.
Real Madrid arrive with absences of their own. Ferland Mendy, Éder Militão, Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo are unavailable to Mourinho, yet the visitors retain considerable quality across the pitch. Thibaut Courtois is set to start in goal, with Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella the expected defensive unit.
Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni are projected to anchor Madrid’s midfield, while Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior support Kylian Mbappé. The France forward will be one of the central figures of the evening as his pursuit of the Ballon d’Or continues, while Vinícius, Dybala and Malen ensure that the match has no shortage of players capable of shifting its course in a single moment.
Likely line-ups at the Olimpico
Roma are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Koné, Wesley; Dybala, Soulé; Malen.
Real Madrid’s anticipated 4-2-3-1 is: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior; Mbappé.
François Letexier of France will referee the contest. The match will be shown exclusively in Italy on Amazon Prime Video, with streaming available through the same service.
