Next Wednesday, Roma faces Real Madrid in the group stage of the Champions League, and the match takes on a special nuance due to the presence of two forwards who have unfinished business with the merengue team. Paulo Dybala, who already experienced the bitter defeat in the 2017 final with Juventus, and DonyellMalen, who was substituted in the 2024 final with Borussia Dortmund, arrive on the field with the intention of remedying those negative moments.
In 2017, Dybala played in the Champions League final with Juventus in Cardiff. The match ended 1‑4 in favor of Real Madrid, with a double from Cristiano Ronaldo and goals from Casemiro and Marco Asensio. The Argentine, then 23 years old, had been a key player in the 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the quarterfinals, but the defeat in the final marked the end of the “Vecchia Signora”'s European campaign. That experience remained the only final that Dybala played in his career in continental competition. After leaving Juventus in 2022, he joined Roma with the hope of shining again in Europe.
Malen, for his part, reached the 2024 Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund. In the 80th minute, the Dutch forward entered the field, replacing Emre Can, with the aim of reactivating the German team's attack. The match ended 0‑2 in favor of Real Madrid, with goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior. Despite his late entry, Malen was unable to change the course of the match. In January 2026, after a brief spell at Aston Villa, he joined Roma looking for a new stage to establish himself in Serie A.
Both players now share the same dressing room at Roma and find themselves facing the same rival that took away their European dreams. The duel will not be a final, but Dybala and Malen's motivation is clear: take advantage of the opportunity to "settle scores" with Real Madrid and show that the past does not define their future. With the Champions League season in full swing, the match promises to be a turning point for both Roma and the two forwards who are looking to redeem themselves against the merengue team.