Real Madrid will go in search of a second Champions League win in as many games on Wednesday night, but the trip to Roma comes with a storyline that will overshadow the football itself: Jose Mourinho is back at the Stadio Olimpico.
Wednesday’s match at the Stadio Olimpico kicks off at 8pm BST, which is 9pm local time, with Francois Letexier appointed as referee. Supporters in the UK can watch on TNT Sports or stream the game through HBO Max.
The emotional weight of the evening is obvious. Mourinho, the manager who delivered the Conference League to Roma in 2022, returns to the Eternal City in charge of Real Madrid, and the side waiting for him is very different from the one he left behind.
Gian Piero Gasperini has built a team unbeaten in Serie A and sitting two points behind champions Inter, a run that has seen them widely tipped as genuine title challengers. They showed their resolve on Sunday by holding Como to a 0-0 draw despite playing the whole second half with 10 men, after Donyell Malen was sent off for a reckless challenge with his studs showing on Kaiki.
“Now ours is a different sort of team, very different from the one that played under Mourinho,” Gasperini said. “It is a team that is giving me great satisfaction, because even today we really needed great morale, great fitness and a huge amount of heart to play like this in Como.”
Europe has been a different story. Roma drew 1-1 at Fenerbahçe on matchday one, stretching their winless run in European competition to four matches. Their record against Madrid is not encouraging either, with four straight defeats in which they have failed to score. The Olimpico, however, remains a fortress on Champions League nights, and Roma have won eight of their last nine home games in the competition.
Madrid arrive after another dramatic weekend. Yan Diomande scored his first goal for the club in a 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, a result that keeps Mourinho’s side six points behind leaders Barcelona. The win was overshadowed by VinÃcius Júnior, who came off the bench, had a goal ruled out and was then sent off after a VAR review spotted him pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair in the build-up.
Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan at the Bernabéu.
Roma team news
Roma have problems in key areas. Their regular goalkeeper, Mile Svilar, is out with a fracture of the little toe on his right foot that has not displaced, so Pierluigi Gollini will continue between the posts after impressing on his first league appearance in more than two years at Como.
Captain Bryan Cristante is a major doubt because of inflammation in his right knee. Should he miss out, Marten de Roon is expected to continue alongside Manu Koné, with Niccolò Pisilli another option. Konstantinos Koulierakis is also unavailable with a leg injury.
Malen’s red card at Como was a domestic one, which means Serie A’s top scorer is free to face Madrid.
Real Madrid team news
Kylian Mbappé is fit to start after recovering from the knee problem he picked up on France duty. He started against Villarreal, although Madrid are still managing his minutes. Federico Valverde, whose ankle sprain in the Madrid derby had been the major concern, also played against Villarreal and set up Diomande’s winner.
VinÃcius is available as well, because his red card only affects La Liga fixtures. That puts the Sevilla game and the Clásico on 25 October at risk, but not this trip.
Éder Militão has rejoined group training after his thigh injury, though Mourinho has ruled him out of this match and the Sevilla fixture. Rodrygo (knee) is not expected back until early 2027, Raúl Asencio (tibia) is out for up to four months, and Ferland Mendy (ligament) is still unavailable.
Predicted line ups
Roma: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Koné, Wesley; Soulé, Dybala; Malen
Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Rüdiger, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde; Diomande, Bellingham, VinÃcius; Mbappé
Mourinho knows the Olimpico well and returns with a squad that has already shown both quality and vulnerability away from home this season. Roma, unbeaten domestically and formidable at home on Champions League evenings, will be a stern test of that record. Kick off is at 8pm BST.
