Real Madrid has gone into “Champions mode” after Sunday's rest day, when the white club recovered from its 1-0 defeat against Villarreal. Coach Jürgen Mourinho has resumed training and the squad is preparing for the Champions League match against Roma, which will be played on Wednesday, October 14 at 9:00 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The training day began at 10:30 and will focus on fine-tuning the tactics and physical condition of the players for the European match.
The match against Roma represents Real Madrid's second match in the group stage of the Champions League. The Spanish club entered the competition after their 2‑1 victory over Inter in the opening phase, and now occupies fourteenth position in the group stage classification table. The immediate objective is to secure victory in Rome and advance to the next phase, moving away from the noise of the Spanish league and concentrating exclusively on the continental tournament.
On the rest day, Mourinho brought back central defender JeroenHuijsen, who had been excluded from the match against Villarreal due to a suspension. Huijsen, who played in the 2023-24 season with the Italian club Roma, where he also trained under the direction of Mourinho, will return to the Real Madrid defensive line. The incorporation of Huijsen is considered key to strengthening the defense zone and giving more stability to the team.
The coach has also pointed out that the match against Roma will be special for both teams. For Mourinho, Roma is the club where he trained between 2021 and 2024, and where he achieved his thousandth game as a coach, in addition to winning the Conference League, becoming the only coach to have won the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League. For Huijsen, the occasion is significant because he will return to play for the same club where he was under Mourinho's tutelage last season. This historical connection adds an additional element of motivation to the meeting.
With the aim of advancing in the Champions League, Real Madrid will continue to concentrate on tactical and physical preparation. The next step will be the match against Roma, where the team will seek to consolidate its position in the group stage and advance to the next stage of the tournament. From there, the club will continue to evaluate its performance and adjust its strategy to maximize its chances of success in European competition.