Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback to defeat AS Roma 4‑3 in a Champions League clash that saw the visitors overturn a two‑goal deficit in the final minutes. After a 20‑minute opener from Marten de Roon and a 25‑minute brace by Donyell Malen gave the hosts a 3‑0 lead, the game was turned on its head by a flurry of corner‑kick goals in the closing stages. Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger each found the net after 83 minutes, with Rüdiger’s stoppage‑time winner sealing a stunning victory for Jose Mourinho’s side.
The match began with a tense atmosphere at Stadio Olimpico, where a large banner celebrating Mourinho’s Conference League triumph during his previous spell at Roma was unveiled. Real Madrid’s lineup was disrupted hours earlier when Vinícius Júnior received a four‑match ban in La Liga for a red card in a 1‑0 win over Villarreal, yet he was still named in the starting XI for Mourinho’s return to Rome. The first half saw Roma’s Manu Koné suffer an injury after 17 minutes, forcing a change that did little to alter the game’s trajectory. Three minutes later, De Roon struck after a quick counter‑attack, and the visitors went on to lead 1‑0.
Real’s early possession errors allowed Roma to level through a powerful left‑footed shot by De Roon, assisted by Matías Soulè. The visitors’ momentum continued when Kylian Mbappé, in his 100th Champions League appearance, equalised from a long‑range strike that sent the ball past Pierluigi Gollini. Mbappé became the youngest player ever to reach 100 appearances in Europe’s top competition, surpassing Lionel Messi’s record of 28 years. Despite a wide effort from Jude Bellingham, the score remained 1‑1 until the second half when Real Madrid’s attack intensified.
In the 51st minute, Donyell Malen capitalised on a flick from Rodrigo Mora to score a second goal for Roma, making it 2‑1. A minute later, a simple pass from Soule split the Real defence and Malen finished with a composed shot to extend the lead to 3‑1. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but VAR overturned the decision and awarded it. Mourinho responded by bringing on Vinícius, who hooked a cross for Endrick, but the Brazilian’s effort was saved by Gollini.
Real Madrid began to claw back when Espí converted a corner in the 83rd minute to make it 3‑3. Two minutes later, Endrick headed a corner from Arda Güler to level the score again. The visitors’ persistence paid off in the dying moments when Rüdiger tapped in a second corner from Güler, giving Real a 4‑3 win and a dramatic victory over the club that had once been his home.
With the win, Mourinho’s return to Rome was marked by a dramatic turnaround, while Real Madrid secured a vital three points in the group stage. The match ended with Real’s late rally proving too much for Roma, setting the stage for both teams to reassess their positions as the Champions League group phase continues.