Real Madrid comeback leaves Roma with one point in Champions League

Real Madrid defeated Roma 4-3 in a Champions League match at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes. The visitors secured the win by scoring three times from corner kicks between the 83rd and 90th minutes.

Roma squandered a 3-1 lead, marking only the second time in the club's history that it has lost a European Cup or Champions League match after leading by at least two goals. The result leaves the Italian side with one point from their opening two matches in the competition.

Real Madrid's late surge featured goals from Carlos Espi, Endrick, and Antonio Rudiger, with Rudiger netting the winner in the 90th minute. Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini said his players appeared "paralysed with fear" while defending set pieces during the final stages of the game, according to comments made to Sky Sport Italia and Amazon Prime Video Italia.

"They had taken corners in the first half too, but in the final minutes it was as if we were paralysed with fear on those corners, they scored too easily," Gasperini said. Despite the defensive collapse, Roma's Donyell Malen recorded a brace, bringing his total to 23 goals across all competitions since his debut on Jan. 18. Only Harry Kane and Raphinha have scored more among players in Europe's big-five leagues during that period, according to Stats Perform data.

Matias Soule also provided two assists, becoming only the second Roma player to achieve that feat in a single Champions League match. Gasperini emphasized the need for his squad to recover quickly from the result. "There is huge regret, because a game played like that should not have ended with that epilogue," he said. "We have to build on the positives, so even if this defeat weighs heavily, we need to shake it off quickly."

Source: Press release, Stats Perform, Oct. 14, 2026