Real Madrid were 3-1 down in Rome and looking for the exit. Real Madrid’s Champions League comeback at Roma was the kind of rescue that makes a coach’s blood pressure spike and a neutral’s weekend. Madrid trailed 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico, then scored three times in seven minutes, all from corners, to win 4-3 on October 14.
It was league-phase matchday 2, and the points count. Madrid sit on 6 points from 2 games, while Roma have 1 point, according to ESPN’s match page.
How the Real Madrid comeback unfolded
It was 1-1 at halftime. Marten de Roon put Roma ahead in the 20th minute, and Kylian Mbappé answered five minutes later. He did it on his 100th Champions League appearance, according to Outlook India. (Nice round number. Very tidy.)
Then the second half turned ugly for the visitors. Donyell Malen scored in the 51st and again in the 57th minute. Roma led 3-1, and Madrid looked beaten.
So what changed? Two substitutes, mostly. Arda Güler and Endrick both came on in the 59th minute, per Goal’s player ratings.
Three corners fuel Madrid’s win over Roma
The finale was a seven-minute spell, and every goal came from a corner, according to Al Jazeera. Roma goalkeeper Gollini spilled Endrick’s header from a quickly taken corner, and Carlos Espí pounced in the 83rd minute. Endrick equalised two minutes later.
Then came Antonio Rüdiger in the 90th minute, with the winner.
Güler’s corners set up Endrick’s equaliser and Rüdiger’s winner, ESPN’s recap says. However, other outlets credit him with two assists.
Rüdiger, for the record, is a former Roma defender. Some people just have a flair for the dramatic.
Mourinho and the Real Madrid rally
Jose Mourinho manages Madrid, and this was a return to a former club. Roma are now managed by Gian Piero Gasperini. Al Jazeera says the win eased pressure on Mourinho, and that tracks. Lose that game and the questions get loud.
Here’s the thing: the Real Madrid comeback is the story, but the process deserves a raised eyebrow. Madrid needed a goalkeeper error and a string of set pieces to survive. A team can’t count on that every week.
What Real Madrid face next after the comeback
The schedule offers no rest. Madrid host RB Leipzig at the Bernabéu on Wednesday, October 21, at 9:00 pm CEST, per the club’s schedule. After that come AEK Athens away on November 4, PSV at home on November 24 and a trip to Arsenal on December 9.
Meanwhile, Roma host Slovan Bratislava on October 20, then travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on November 3, according to the club’s fixture list. Elsewhere in Spanish football, the La Liga suspension affecting Rayo and Athletic keeps the domestic scene noisy.
One question will follow Madrid to Leipzig. Was this comeback a statement, or a lucky escape?
