UEFA Champions League 2026/27 · League Phase MD2 · Stadio Olimpico, Rome
AS Roma
3
—
4
Real Madrid
Wednesday, 14 October 2026 · Att: 71,442 · Ref: François Letexier (FRA)
de Roon 20'
Mbappé 25' (ast. Diomande)
Malen 51', 57'
Espí 83'
Endrick 85' (ast. Güler)
Rüdiger 90' (ast. Güler)
⚽ The Comeback: 3-1 down with 7 minutes remaining. Three goals in seven minutes — all from corners delivered by Arda Güler — to win 4-3. Espí 83', Endrick 85', Rüdiger 90'. A Champions League night for the ages.
This was the sort of Champions League night that reminds you why Real Madrid are the most decorated club in the history of the competition. Trailing 3-1 with seven minutes remaining, in the Stadio Olimpico, against a Roma side that had been the better team for most of the second half, Mourinho's side conjured something remarkable. Three corners. Three headers. Three goals in seven minutes. The place fell silent. The bench went wild. And José Mourinho — the man who spent three years loving these fans and this city — allowed himself a clenched fist before the final whistle.
The first half was a tight tactical battle. Mourinho had correctly identified that Roma, under Gasperini, press with relentless man-marking intensity from a 3-4-2-1, and he set up his 4-2-3-1 to try and play through the press rather than over it. It worked in spells — the Mbappé equaliser on 25 minutes, created by a sharp Diomande assist, was a moment of pure, incisive quality that showed exactly what this team can do at its best. De Roon's opener, though, was a setback and the interval feeling was one of tentative equilibrium.
The second half began with Gasperini's masterstroke — Rodrigo Mora on for Dybala, providing fresh legs and the assist for Malen's 51st-minute goal. Then another Malen finish on 57 to make it 3-1. The visitors looked shell-shocked. Their press was being bypassed, their shape was poor, and Mourinho was already making the changes that would ultimately win the match — Endrick on for Vinícius at 59 minutes, Güler on for Dumfries (a positional change that moved Valverde to right wing). Tchouaméni made way for Bernardo Silva at 70 minutes. Diomande off for Espí at 78. Konaté off for Carreras.
And then Güler took a corner. Endrick got his head to it. Espí reacted to the parried save. 3-2, 83rd minute. Two minutes later, another Güler corner. Another Endrick header. 3-3. Chaos at the Olimpico. And in stoppage time, Güler's delivery again found Rüdiger — the man who spent six years at this club, who knows every inch of this stadium, who has waited his entire professional life for a moment like this — ghosting in at the far post to head home the winner. 4-3. Football is never over.
Mourinho Post-Match
"We faced a difficult opponent who play a different style, relying heavily on man-marking at high intensity. They deserved to go ahead, even though I wasn't happy with the two goals we conceded. The 3rd goal we conceded was ridiculous."
José Mourinho, Post-Match Press Conference — Stadio Olimpico
"That's why I was talking a lot with Tchouaméni during the first half to make the necessary adjustments, and when the second half began I felt the team had become more stable. After that we showed an organised fighting spirit, and it was an emotional reaction within a tactical framework that helped us a great deal."
José Mourinho — on the tactical adjustments
"In the final 20 minutes, Roma were dead. It's difficult to play with this style and intensity like they do. We made some changes; if we'd conceded a fourth goal, it wouldn't have changed the way I feel about tonight."
José Mourinho — speaking to Prime Video at the Stadio Olimpico
"When they asked me if Roma could sign Endrick, I said impossible. I know what he can do."
José Mourinho — on Endrick's match-winning cameo
Player Ratings
Starters rated across their full contribution. Substitutes rated on impact from the bench. FotMob ratings cross-referenced with SI, Goal, and The 4th Official.
🧤 Goalkeeper
5.5
#1
Thibaut Courtois
An uncomfortable night for the Belgian, who will not want to revisit the footage of the second and third Roma goals. The deflection for Malen's first was unfortunate but the second was a genuine error — his positioning allowed the Dutch forward a clean low finish at his near post. Made an important first-half save to keep Madrid level when the score was 1-1, but the overall defensive performance in front of him was poor enough that no goalkeeper could have fully compensated. His distribution was steady when called upon. This was a match that exposed structural rather than individual failings, but Courtois was not blameless.
FotMob: 5.6 · WhoScored: 5.5 · Our Rating: 5.5
🛡️ Defenders
5.5
#24
Denzel Dumfries ↓ 59'
A difficult evening at right back against a Roma side that targeted his flank relentlessly. Wesley gave him serious problems in the first half with his direct running and physicality, and Dumfries was unable to provide the attacking contribution that Mourinho wanted. His removal at 59 minutes — replaced by Güler, which allowed Valverde to move to the right wing — was a tactical decision rather than a personal indictment, but he had done enough poorly to make the change logical. His performances this season have been increasingly inconsistent.
FotMob: 5.4 · WhoScored: 5.5 · Our Rating: 5.5
5.5
#16
Ibrahima Konaté ↓ 78'
A night to forget in the Roman capital. Was bypassed for Malen's second goal with ease — caught flat-footed as Soulé played a simple ball through the defensive line. His aerial dominance, which has been a feature of his Madrid career, was absent here. Replaced at 78 minutes for Carreras as Mourinho reorganised defensively for the final stages, which was the right call. A poor evening from a player whose individual quality demands more.
FotMob: 5.7 · WhoScored: 5.5 · Our Rating: 5.5
5.5
#22
Antonio Rüdiger ⚽ 90'
One of the greatest individual moments in the story of any Real Madrid player this season — and yet one of his worst performances as a starter. Rüdiger was poor for both Roma goals in the second half, losing his man and being caught out of position in a way that has rarely characterised his Madrid career. But then came the 90th minute. Arda Güler's corner, Rüdiger's run to the far post, an instinctive, powerful header into the bottom corner. The German wheeled away in disbelief. The comeback was complete. You cannot tell this story without giving him the hero's credit he deserves — but the rating here represents his full 90 minutes, of which 83 were substandard and seven were legendary.
FotMob: 5.5 · WhoScored: 7.5 (for the goal) · Our Rating: 5.5 (starter) / 9.0 (impact)
5.5
#17
Marc Cucurella
Struggled against Molina and Soulé for the entire duration. Was unable to prevent the supply line that produced both of Malen's goals, contributing to what was a dismal defensive evening from the entire back four. Did try to push forward when the scoreline dictated urgency but his attempts at creativity fell short. One of his more difficult nights in a white shirt this season.
FotMob: 5.7 · WhoScored: 5.8 · Our Rating: 5.5
⚽ Midfielders
6.0
#14
Aurélien Tchouaméni ↓ 70'
Completely overrun by Roma's man-marking system, which targeted the double pivot with three midfielders and consistently bypassed him in the first half. Mourinho has said he spent much of the first half talking to Tchouaméni about tactical adjustments, which underlines how uncomfortable he was. Withdrawn at 70 minutes for Bernardo Silva as Mourinho sought a different midfield profile. His role in the second-half comeback was minimal but the adjustments he absorbed during the first half laid the groundwork for the tactical reshuffle that turned the game.
FotMob: 6.1 (match) / 6.9 (player page) · Our Rating: 6.0
6.0
#8
Federico Valverde
Captained the side in the absence of a clear leadership hierarchy and showed the character the armband demands — he never dropped his head even when Madrid were 3-1 down. His positional switch to the right wing after Güler came on at 59 minutes gave him more freedom and he was a key presence in the pressing that wore Roma down in the final stages. His first-half contribution as a pivot was underwhelming — Roma's numerical midfield superiority made it impossible to function effectively — but his movement and energy in the second half deserves credit.
FotMob: 6.2 · WhoScored: 6.0 · Our Rating: 6.0
8.2
#25
Yan Diomande 🅰 25' ↓ 78'
His best performance in a Real Madrid shirt across 78 minutes — relentlessly direct, continuously available for combinations, and the player who provided the assist for Mbappé's equaliser with a sharp, incisive cut-back that gave Mbappé the cleanest of finishes. He created the goal that kept Real in contention at half-time, and without that goal, none of the second-half drama would have been possible. In the second half he began to tire as Roma doubled their efforts to contain him, but his replacement by Espí at 78 minutes gave Madrid the fresh attacking legs they needed. The teenager is growing in stature with every Champions League appearance.
FotMob: 8.5 · The 4th Official: 8.0 · Our Rating: 8.2
6.8
#5
Jude Bellingham
Was the connective tissue between the lines throughout — even when the scoreline was bleak and Madrid looked incapable of a response, Bellingham continued to drive forward, demand the ball and find combinations in tight spaces. His ball retention and ability to carry through Roma's press was Madrid's primary creative outlet when the structural plan was failing. Did not find the goal his efforts probably deserved but his role in the comeback — maintaining belief, keeping the ball moving — was understated and important. A quietly excellent performance on a night when others failed more visibly.
FotMob: 6.8 · Goal.com: 7.0 · Our Rating: 6.8
6.0
#7
Vinícius Júnior ↓ 59'
A night of mixed emotions for the Brazilian. Coming off the back of a red card against Villarreal, he began brightly here — driving at Roma's right back with intent and making the intelligent runs that show he is back in the right mindset. But a significant individual error in the middle of the field led directly to Roma's second goal — losing the ball carelessly in a dangerous position that Malen converted before Vinícius had recovered. Substituted at 59 minutes following the third Roma goal. The error cannot be ignored despite the positive intent he showed.
FotMob: 6.3 · Goal.com: 6.0 · Our Rating: 6.0
🔥 Forwards
8.2
#10
Kylian Mbappé ⚽ 25'
A century of Champions League appearances marked with a goal — and what a goal it was. Diomande's cut-back found him arriving at the perfect angle inside the box and he drilled an emphatic finish past Gollini to level the match at 1-1. It was his 100th Champions League appearance, and his 73rd goal in the competition — a statistic that confirms his standing alongside the sport's absolute elite. Had a goal disallowed for offside in the 68th minute that would have changed the entire narrative of the match. Was denied twice by Gollini in the second half before the late comeback unfolded. A night of personal and collective drama that Mbappé handled with the composure of a player who has done all of this before.
FotMob: 8.2 · SI: 8.5 · The 4th Official: 8.5 · Our Rating: 8.2
🔄 Substitutes
9.2
#15
Arda Güler ↑ 59' 🅰 85' 🅰 90'
The architect of the comeback. Every great heist needs someone who draws up the plan, and on this night it was Güler. Introduced at 59 minutes as Roma were beginning to feel secure at 3-1, he moved into the midfield vacated by Tchouaméni's departure while Valverde shifted wide — and immediately changed the quality and tempo of Madrid's play. He was calm. He was precise. And when it mattered most, his corner delivery was flawless. The corner for Endrick's equaliser — whipped perfectly to the near post, weighted exactly right. Then the corner for Rüdiger — identical delivery, identical outcome, identical bedlam. Two assists from dead-ball situations in a seven-minute spell that ended with Real Madrid winning a match they had no right to win. At 21 years old, this is a player for Madrid's future. It is also a performance for their present.
FotMob: 8.0 · Goal.com: 8.0-9.0 · Our Rating: 9.2
9.0
#9
Endrick ↑ 59' ⚽ 85' 🅰 83'
Arguably the best 31-minute cameo by any Real Madrid substitute this season. Introduced at 59 minutes with Madrid losing 3-1 and looking devoid of ideas, Endrick immediately brought directness, aerial threat and the kind of fearlessness that only teenagers playing without the weight of expectation can provide. His header from Güler's corner in the 83rd minute — the one that Gollini parried for Espí to convert — was the catalyst. His second header two minutes later was the equaliser: perfectly timed, powerfully directed. Mourinho summed it up perfectly: he knew exactly what Endrick could do. The only question was when. The answer, emphatically, was tonight. The Stadio Olimpico fell silent in a way that only a 19-year-old Brazilian scoring in the 85th minute can make it.
FotMob: 6.5 (limited time) · Goal.com: 9.0 · Our Rating: 9.0
7.0
#19
Carlos Espí ↑ 78' ⚽ 83'
The man who started the comeback. Introduced at 78 minutes — his third consecutive match as a substitute in the final quarter of an hour — and within five minutes had provided the spark that changed everything. Endrick's header was parried; Espí, arriving at speed from the edge of the area, reacted quicker than everyone to tap in the rebound. It was the predatory instinct of a natural finisher who makes himself available in exactly the right position at exactly the right moment. Three goals in eight appearances, all from substitute roles, all when Madrid needed them most. This is not coincidence. This is quality.
FotMob: 7.1 · Goal.com: 8.0 · Our Rating: 7.0
6.5
#20
Bernardo Silva ↑ 70'
Came on at 70 minutes to provide midfield stability and recycling of possession as Madrid pushed bodies forward. Was not directly involved in any of the three comeback goals but his presence helped keep the ball and maintain the pressing structure that wore Roma down mentally and physically. A calm, functional contribution in a frantic situation.
FotMob: 6.5 · Our Rating: 6.5
6.5
#18
Álvaro Carreras ↑ 78' 🟨 90+5'
Came on at 78 minutes at left back to shore up the defensive shape as Madrid chased the game with three attackers. Did his job competently before receiving a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul on Pellegrini. Twelve minutes is too short for a full rating but his composure was exactly what the situation required.
FotMob: 6.5 · Our Rating: 6.5
This was not a performance. This was a statement of identity. What happened in those final seven minutes at the Stadio Olimpico cannot be explained by tactics alone — it requires something more fundamental: the belief, baked into the culture of this football club, that matches are never over. Arda Güler delivered it with two perfect corners. Endrick claimed it with two perfect headers. Rüdiger sealed it with the kind of goal that only happens to the players who deserve them most. And José Mourinho, returning to the club that taught him what football really means, allowed himself a rare, unguarded moment of emotion. Hala Madrid. Sempre Roma, but tonight — Madrid. Hala Madrid.
Labels:
2026/27
UCL
Champions League
Matchday 2
Away Win
Player Ratings
Real Madrid
AS Roma
Rüdiger
Endrick
Güler
Espí
Mourinho
Comeback
October
