Madrid face Mourinho reunion as Roma seek to end European hoodoo

Real Madrid face another reunion with Jose Mourinho when they visit Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the Spanish giants looking to extend their dominant record against the Italian side and secure back-to-back wins in Europe.

The 15-time European champions opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan, although the result masked an unconvincing performance.

Madrid struggled without possession, conceded several chances and benefited from two costly opposition errors before Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde secured the points.

Their domestic form has been less consistent. After winning their first three La Liga matches, Madrid suffered defeats to Real Betis and city rivals Atletico Madrid, increasing the pressure ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Villarreal.

Madrid eventually edged that contest 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Yan Diomande scoring his first goal for the club before Vinicius Junior was sent off. The decision sparked strong protests from Mourinho and his coaching staff.

With Madrid already six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, attention now turns to Europe, where they will look to build momentum ahead of the first Clasico of the season.

For Mourinho, the fixture offers another reunion with a former club. The Portuguese coach managed Roma from 2021 to 2024, winning the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 and guiding the team to the Europa League final the following year.

However, his side struggled to maintain a consistent challenge in Serie A during his tenure.

Madrid have historically enjoyed the upper hand against Roma, winning eight of their 12 meetings, compared with three defeats. Although the clubs have not met since 2018, Madrid won their last four encounters without conceding and have also claimed five victories in their last six visits to Rome.

Roma, meanwhile, are back in the Champions League after a seven-season absence and began their return with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce, another of Mourinho’s former clubs.

The Italian side qualified by finishing third in Serie A last season, marking an impressive first campaign under Gian Piero Gasperini. The former Atalanta coach, who won the Europa League with the club in 2024, has established a reputation for producing competitive teams in European competition. He has lost just four of his last 24 Champions League group-stage or league-phase matches.

Roma started the new Serie A campaign with four consecutive victories before consecutive draws against Como and Inter slowed their progress. Sunday’s goalless stalemate against Como was particularly frustrating, as Roma had hoped to maintain their winning momentum.

Roma's Manu Kone (L) controls the ball during a Serie A match between Como and AS Roma, Como, Italy, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo) — Roma’s Manu Kone (L) controls the ball during a Serie A match between Como and AS Roma, Como, Italy, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo)

Star striker Donyell Malen was sent off for a mistimed challenge, leaving Gasperini’s side to defend with 10 men for much of the final 40 minutes at Stadio Sinigaglia.

Despite dropping points in their last two matches, Roma remain third in the standings, within two points of Inter and city rivals Lazio. They will now attempt to translate their domestic form into a first Champions League victory of the campaign.

The Stadio Olimpico has provided Roma with a formidable platform in European competition in the past. Before their seven-year absence from the Champions League, they won eight of their last nine home matches in the tournament. The stadium also played a central role in their runs to consecutive European finals in 2022 and 2023.

More recently, however, Roma have struggled on home soil in Europe, losing three of their last five continental matches. That run includes a 4-3 defeat to Bologna in the knockout stages of last season’s Europa League.

Madrid will arrive with several injury concerns. Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo and Raul Asencio are unavailable, while Dean Huijsen is eligible after serving a domestic suspension. The defender previously spent a brief period on loan at Roma.

Madrid can also welcome back Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva, who are available again after serving UEFA suspensions.

Vinicius will be eligible despite facing an impending domestic suspension in La Liga. The Brazilian winger has recorded 26 assists in the Champions League, leaving him one short of Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record.

Mbappe could also reach a significant milestone on Wednesday. At 27 years and 298 days, the French forward is on course to become the youngest player to make 100 appearances in the Champions League, surpassing Lionel Messi, who reached the landmark at 28 years and 84 days. Messi set his record against Roma in 2015.

Roma will also have a key attacking option available in Malen, who is expected to return despite his domestic suspension. The Dutch striker and his teammate Paulo Dybala have both lost Champions League finals against Madrid, adding another personal dimension to the encounter.

Gasperini must wait to determine whether Bryan Cristante can return from the knee problem that kept him out of Italy’s Nations League squad and Sunday’s match against Como.

Roma have a more pressing concern in goal, with first-choice goalkeeper Mile Svilar ruled out after fracturing a toe. Pier Luigi Gollini is expected to deputize again after keeping a clean sheet in his first Serie A appearance in two years.

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