Real Madrid stun Roma with late three-goal comeback
SingTao · 4 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Real Madrid produced one of the early Champions League league phase thrillers by beating Roma 4-3 away after trailing 1-3 deep into the second half. Roma led through Marten de Roon and a Donyell Malen brace, but Madrid struck three times from the 82nd minute, with Carlos Espe, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger all scoring from sustained late pressure and set-piece situations. Kylian Mbappe had earlier equalised for Madrid and, according to CRHK, became the youngest player to reach 100 Champions League appearances at age 27, breaking Lionel Messi's record. The result left Madrid with two wins from two matches, while Roma had one draw and one defeat after two rounds
Key Points
- Roma started brighter and went ahead on 20 minutes when Paulo Dybala won the ball and the move ended with Marten de Roon scoring
- Mbappe levelled on 25 minutes with a long-range strike, after Thibaut Courtois had already made key saves to keep Madrid in the match
- Roma moved 3-1 ahead after the break as Donyell Malen scored in the 51st minute and again in the 57th, with the second confirmed by VAR.
- Mourinho changed the game late, introducing Endrick, Arda Guler and later Carlos Espe, with the substitutes directly shaping all three comeback goals
- Madrid scored in the 82nd, 85th and 90th minutes, with Espe, Endrick and Rudiger all converting after corners or second-ball situations to seal a 4-3 win.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong viewers following overnight European football, the match underlined why Mourinho remains a major draw: his tactical switches and game management turned a likely defeat into a headline result. It also reinforced Madrid's early momentum in the new league-phase format, while Roma's aggressive pressing style was exposed late on when intensity dropped.