Real Madrid Rally to Win in Rome
Real Madrid scored three times from corners in the last eight minutes to beat Roma 4–3 on José Mourinho's return to the club he led to the Conference League title.
Real Madrid trailed Roma 3–1 with eight minutes left at the Stadio Olimpico and won 4–3. All three late goals came from corners. Carlos Espí, a substitute, turned in the ball after the Roma goalkeeper spilled a header from Endrick. Endrick then headed in a corner from Arda Güler, and Antonio Rüdiger, a former Roma defender, turned in another Güler corner in the 90th minute.
Roma had led through Marten de Roon and two goals early in the second half from Donyell Malen. Kylian Mbappé scored Real Madrid's first goal in his 100th Champions League match.
The match was José Mourinho's first in Rome as Real Madrid's coach. He led Roma to the Conference League title, and the home crowd greeted him with banners and chants. Afterward he took the blame for a poor first half and credited his players for the second.
Why it matters: Real Madrid have won both their league-phase matches and have six points. Roma have one. Real Madrid play Leipzig at home on October 21.
Real Madrid were losing 3–1 at Roma in the Champions League with eight minutes left and won 4–3. All three of their late goals came from corners. Kickoff at the Stadio Olimpico was 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. ET), in front of 64,256 people.
The night began with José Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, back at the club he led to the Conference League title. The home crowd greeted him with banners and chants.
Roma took the lead in the 20th minute. Marten de Roon struck from outside the penalty area, from a pass by Matías Soulé. Roma had already lost Manu Koné to injury three minutes earlier; Niccolò Pisilli replaced him.
Kylian Mbappé equalized five minutes later, also from outside the area, in his 100th Champions League match. ESPN reported that at 27 he is the youngest player to reach 100, younger than Lionel Messi, who was 28. It was 1–1 at halftime.
Roma's coach sent on Rodrigo Mora for Paulo Dybala at the break, and the change paid off at once. Donyell Malen scored from Mora's pass in the 51st minute, then made it 3–1 in the 57th, running onto Soulé's through ball. The second goal stood after a video review overturned an offside call.
Real Madrid changed two players two minutes later. Endrick came on for Vinícius Júnior and Arda Güler for Denzel Dumfries. Shortly before kickoff, Spain's football authorities had given Vinícius a four-match league ban for pulling an opponent's hair. He started in Rome and went off at 3–1.
Roma's coach made two changes in the 63rd minute, sending on Lorenzo Pellegrini and Leonardo Balerdi for Soulé and Gianluca Mancini. Bernardo Silva replaced Aurélien Tchouaméni in the 70th minute, and Carlos Espí came on for Yan Diomande in the 78th.
Espí scored in the 82nd minute. After a corner, Endrick headed toward goal, the Roma goalkeeper, Pierluigi Gollini, spilled the ball, and Espí turned it in from close range.
Three minutes later Güler swung in a corner and Endrick headed it into the bottom corner: 3–3. In the 90th minute Güler delivered another corner, and Antonio Rüdiger, a former Roma defender, turned it in from close range for 4–3.
Roma had more of the ball, 54 percent, and seven shots on target to Real Madrid's eight. Real Madrid had nine corners to Roma's five. Three of the nine decided the match.
Mourinho put the first half on himself. "For the poor first half, the responsibility lies with the coach, and for the good second half, the responsibility lies with the players," he said.
Rüdiger played for Roma before moving to Chelsea and then Madrid. "Of course, it's a bittersweet feeling, but that's football," he said. "Roma will always hold a special place in my heart."
For Roma, the defeat ended their first home Champions League match in more than seven years. They have one point from two matches. Real Madrid have won both and have six points.
Wednesday's nine matches produced 46 goals. Paris Saint-Germain won 4–2 at Manchester City, Aston Villa beat Fenerbahçe 6–0 and Liverpool won 6–3 at LASK in Linz. Bodø/Glimt beat Borussia Dortmund 1–0 in Norway.
Real Madrid play Leipzig at home on October 21.