Real Madrid fight back from two goals down to beat Roma 4-3 on Mourinho’s Olimpico return
Real Madrid pulled off a stunning Rome escape at the Olimpico on Wednesday, scoring three goals in the last eight minutes to beat Roma 4-3 from 3-1 down, with Antonio Rudiger’s 90th-minute winner crowning an extraordinary comeback on Jose Mourinho’s emotional return to the Italian capital.
Jose Mourinho returned to a stadium where banners from home fans celebrated his reign, which brought Conference League glory in 2022 and a Europa League final defeat on penalties to Sevilla a year later. He had coached Roma between May 2021 and January 2024.
Mourinho made three changes, restoring Vinicius Junior despite his red card against Villarreal, with Dumfries and Cucurella also in. Gian Piero Gasperini made one, Matias Soule replacing Lorenzo Pellegrini, while Donyell Malen led the line after being sent off in Roma’s 0-0 draw with Como.
Roma began far brighter. Soule curled a left-footed effort just wide in the second minute, and Thibaut Courtois then saved well from Mario Hermoso after Paulo Dybala’s cross was parried, before Manu Kone’s long-range effort was routine. Madrid looked slow out of the blocks.
Roma lost Manu Kone to injury in the 17th minute, replaced by Niccolo Pisilli, but struck three minutes later. After a turnover, Soule found Marten de Roon, whose shot from the edge of the area took a deflection past Courtois for 1-0.
Malen nearly made it 2-0 in the 24th minute after Yan Diomande lost possession, his shot squirming under Courtois without crossing the line. Madrid levelled a minute later, when Mbappe’s 25-yard strike deflected off Gianluca Mancini over Pierluigi Gollini after two Roma errors.
Marc Cucurella dragged a shot wide in the 31st minute, though the flag was up anyway. Right on the stroke of half-time, Jude Bellingham shot wide from Vinicius Junior’s pull-back when he should have scored, leaving the teams level at the break.
Rodrigo Mora replaced Paulo Dybala at the interval and had an instant impact. Vinicius failed to control Courtois’s long ball, Roma worked it to Mora, and the substitute slid in Malen, who finished past Courtois for 2-1 in the 51st minute.
Bellingham’s penalty appeal was waved away and Roma broke at pace. Soule’s slide-rule pass found Malen, who slotted past Courtois, and after a VAR check showed him onside, it was 3-1 in the 57th minute, his second goal of the night.
Mourinho reacted at once, replacing Vinicius and Dumfries with Endrick and Arda Guler in the 59th minute. Mbappe forced good saves from Gollini in the 62nd and 67th minutes, then rounded him but saw the finish chalked off for offside after VAR.
Gasperini made a double change in the 63rd minute, Pellegrini replacing the excellent Soule and Balerdi coming on for Mancini, who had been booked for pulling Mbappe’s shirt. Wesley and later Pellegrini were also cautioned, and Bernardo Silva replaced Tchouameni for Madrid.
Carlos Espi and Alvaro Carreras came on for Diomande and Cucurella, and Madrid struck against a cruising Roma. Guler’s short corner reached Endrick, whose header Gollini parried poorly, and Espi tapped in the rebound, the 83rd-minute goal standing after a VAR review.
Two minutes later it was 3-3. Guler clipped in a corner from the left and the unmarked Endrick rose to thump a low header past Gollini, pulling Madrid level against a Roma side that had suddenly lost its grip.
Bellingham headed wide from another Guler corner in the 87th minute, and Pellegrini was booked for a late clip on Bernardo Silva. Five minutes of added time were announced, and Madrid used them ruthlessly, winning yet another corner as Roma’s defending continued to fall apart.
Guler delivered from the right this time, and Antonio Rudiger got in front of his marker to side-foot home from close range for 4-3 in the 90th minute, Guler’s second assist from a corner after coming on in the 59th minute.
Roma looked shell-shocked in five minutes of added time and found no way back.