Real Madrid came from 3-1 down to beat Roma 4-3 at the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League. Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scored in the final seven minutes, after Donyell Malen’s two goals had put the hosts in control.
Rome, Italy: José Mourinho’s return to the Stadio Olimpico, where he led Roma to the 2021-22 Europa Conference League title, was heading for a bitter evening until the 83rd minute. Roma held a two-goal lead and a roaring crowd. Seven minutes later that lead was gone, and Real Madrid had taken a result their first hour had done little to earn.
A quiet opening half, a goal apiece
Roma struck first in the 20th minute. Marten de Roon let fly from the edge of the area after Matías Soulé found him, and the ball took a deflection on its way past the Madrid goalkeeper. Kylian Mbappé levelled five minutes later to give the visitors a foothold, but Madrid created little else before the break and spent long spells chasing the ball. Roma were the more purposeful side in a first half that finished 1-1.
Malen takes the game away
The second half belonged to the hosts. Malen put Roma back in front in the 51st minute with a close-range finish that deflected off Federico Valverde, then scored again six minutes later. His second goal, a finish from a through ball, was initially questioned for offside, but a VAR check confirmed he was level and the goal stood. At 3-1, with Madrid short of ideas, Roma looked to have the points in hand.
Seven minutes that flipped the night
Mourinho had changed the game from the bench, and his substitutes decided it. Espí pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute, converting the rebound after Roma goalkeeper Gollini parried an Endrick header. Two minutes later Endrick levelled with a header of his own, from an Arda Güler corner. Then, in the 90th minute, Rüdiger got to another Güler delivery and finished from close range. Three goals in seven minutes turned a defeat into a 4-3 win.
What it means for both clubs
The victory gives Real Madrid six points from their first two league-phase matches, a start that suits a club drawn against Arsenal and Inter in the 2026-27 league-phase draw. They arrived in Rome on the back of a 1-0 La Liga win over Villarreal, a match in which Vinícius Júnior was sent off. For Roma, the defeat leaves one point from two games and a night they will replay for a long time: ahead by two goals in the 82nd minute, and beaten before the final whistle.
Result: AS Roma 3, Real Madrid 4 (UEFA Champions League, league phase, matchday 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Wednesday, 14 October 2026). Half-time: 1-1.
Scorers: De Roon 20′, Malen 51′, 57′ (Roma); Mbappé 25′, Espí 83′, Endrick 85′, Rüdiger 90′ (Real Madrid).
