It was a night of pure footballing theatre at a raucous Stadio Olimpico, where former manager Jose Mourinho received a hero’s welcome, only to watch Real Madrid orchestrate a breathtaking late rescue mission. Trailing 3-1 heading into the final stages of a pulsating Champions League encounter on Wednesday, the 15-time European champions summoned an astonishing response, scoring three goals in the space of seven frantic minutes from a flurry of corners to claim a dramatic 4-3 victory.
The result leaves Real Madrid comfortably positioned with six points from their opening two league-phase matches in the revamped Champions League structure. For Roma, however, the night ended in crushing heartbreak, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini’s side stranded on a single point despite delivering a performance of immense tactical courage and attacking verve.
The emotional backdrop of the evening was dominated by the return of Jose Mourinho. During a hugely successful two-and-a-half-year tenure in the Italian capital, the Portuguese coach etched his name into club folklore by leading Roma to the UEFA Conference League title and a subsequent Europa League final. Making their first home appearance in the Champions League proper in more than seven years, the Roma faithful used the occasion to honor Mourinho with elaborate banners and deafening chants.
Emboldened by the electric atmosphere, the hosts started on the front foot. Mario Hermoso served an early warning to the visitors when his blistering long-range effort forced Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into a spectacular flying fingertip save. The pressure soon told in the 20th minute. Marten de Roon found space twenty-five yards out and unleashed a venomous, swerving shot that flashed past Courtois to break the deadlock and send the Stadio Olimpico into raptures.
Roma nearly doubled their advantage shortly after when Donyell Malen uncorked a fierce drive that squirmed underneath Courtois, only for a retreating defender to claw the ball off the line just in time. Yet, at this elite level of European competition, even the smallest lapse in concentration can prove catastrophic. Within five minutes of taking the lead, Roma switched off momentarily, allowing Real Madrid back into the contest.
Hermoso misjudged a routine interception in the heart of defence, presenting Kylian Mbappe with a clear, untracked run at goal. The French superstar accepted the invitation gratefully, unleashing a shot that took a decisive deflection and flew into the roof of the net. It was Real Madrid’s first meaningful attack of the match, yet it instantly restored parity.
For Mbappe, the strike carried profound historical significance. The goal marked his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, making him the youngest player in history to reach the milestone at just 27 years of age. Furthermore, it was his 72nd tournament goal, lifting him past Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez and into the all-time top five scorers in Champions League history.
The equalizer temporarily sapped the momentum from Roma and allowed Mourinho’s tactical setup to steady the ship. Real Madrid began to assert control, with both Marc Cucurella and Jude Bellingham testing the home defense before the half-time whistle sounded, leaving the score delicately balanced at 1-1.
Roma take game to Real Madrid
Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini had vowed in his pre-match press conference that his team would remain true to their signature full-throttle, aggressive style regardless of the imposing reputation of their opponents. True to his word, the Giallorossi emerged from the interval with blistering intensity, immediately taking the game directly to the Spanish giants.
The hosts restored their lead almost immediately after the restart. Half-time substitute Rodrigo Mora slipped a clever pass into the path of Malen. Taking the ball perfectly in his stride with his first touch, the Dutch forward lifted a delicate, composed finish over the onrushing Courtois with his second, sending the home crowd wild once more.
Just six minutes later, the Stadio Olimpico erupted again. Malen beat the offside trap to race onto a precise through ball before powering an unstoppable shot past the goalkeeper. Although the assistant referee initially raised his flag for offside, a lengthy VAR review confirmed the forward had timed his run to perfection, extending Roma’s lead to 3-1 and leaving the mighty Real Madrid on the ropes.
Real Madrid desperately sought a response. Mbappe tested Pierluigi Gollini twice in quick succession and even found the back of the net for a second time, only for the effort to be correctly chalked off for offside. As the clock wound down, it appeared Gasperini’s tactical masterclass would yield one of the most famous European nights in Roma’s recent history.
However, set-pieces proved to be the ultimate undoing of the Italian defense. In a dramatic shift of momentum, Real Madrid forced a succession of corners and capitalized on aerial vulnerability. First, Carlos Espi reacted quickest inside a crowded penalty area, tucking home a close-range rebound from a headed effort in the 83rd minute to cut the deficit to one.
Just two minutes later, lightning struck twice. Another inviting corner delivery found Endrick, who rose majestically to power an authoritative header past Gollini, stunning the stadium and leveling the score at 3-3.
The final, devastating blow arrived in the 90th minute. With Roma visibly fatigued and reeling from the double-salvo, a final corner was swung into the danger area. Former Roma defender Antonio Rudiger timed his run to perfection, getting sharply in front of his marker to steer a close-range finish home and complete an extraordinary, improbable turnaround.
Shakhtar Donetsk beat AEK Athens in London debut
Elsewhere in the Champions League, nomadic Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk marked a unique chapter in their history by christening their new temporary European home at Stamford Bridge with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over AEK Athens.
Thousands of passionate fans turned out in London to support the team, with supporters streaming into the stadium draped in blue-and-yellow national flags. The Greek visitors initially threatened to spoil the occasion when Lovro Majer fired them into a 28th-minute lead. However, Shakhtar showed remarkable resilience, drawing level just six minutes later when Pedrinho converted confidently from the penalty spot.
As the match entered its tense final stages, Shakhtar seized control. With roughly ten minutes of normal time remaining, Vinicius Tobias found the net from an acute angle to complete the turnaround. Substitute Gleiker Mendoza then sealed the three points in style, cutting in from the left flank before unleashing a powerful drive past the goalkeeper. The victory moves Shakhtar onto four points after two matches, building upon their opening draw against PSV Eindhoven.
Giant-killers Bodo sink Dortmund in Champions League
In Norway, Bodo/Glimt continued their extraordinary reputation as European giant-killers by recording a famous 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on the artificial turf of the Aspmyra stadium.
Fredrik Sjovold emerged as the hero of the evening, netting the decisive strike in the 52nd minute. Throughout the contest, the Norwegian side looked every bit a match for the 2024 Champions League runners-up, playing with a level of cohesion and intensity that caught their illustrious opponents off guard.
Dortmund managed to raise their performance level in the final half-hour and pushed hard for an equalizer, with Felix Nmecha squandering a late opportunity. Ultimately, however, Bodo held firm to secure another monumental scalp, joining the likes of Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Sporting on the growing list of elite clubs humbled in the Arctic Circle.
Aston Villa put six past Fenerbahce in record rout
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa produced a dazzling display of attacking football to record the biggest European victory in the club’s history, thrashing Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park.
The commanding performance not only secured Villa’s first home win of the season in the competition but also maintained their flawless 100 percent start to the elite European campaign. Swiss forward Johan Manzambi set the tone by opening the scoring, before Nicolas Jackson took center stage with a clinical brace before the interval.
Villa did not relent after the break. Ross Barkley chipped in with two well-taken goals in the second half, and substitute Tammy Abraham added a late strike to put the finishing touches on a historic, record-breaking rout.