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Real Madrid produced a remarkable comeback to defeat AS Roma 4-3 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, scoring three goals in the closing stages to overturn a two-goal deficit and snatch victory in a thrilling encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma appeared to have done enough to secure a famous European victory after Donyell Malen scored twice to give the Italian side a 3-1 lead. However, the introduction of Brazilian forward Endrick transformed Madrid’s attacking performance, with Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scoring in the closing stages to complete an extraordinary turnaround.
Kylian Mbappé had earlier scored Madrid’s equaliser, while Arda Güler emerged as a decisive figure by delivering the corners that led to all three of the visitors’ late goals.
The contest began at a high tempo, with Roma immediately putting Madrid under pressure. Matías Soulé threatened early, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced an excellent save in the fourth minute to deny Mario Hermoso, whose effort inside the penalty area appeared capable of giving the hosts an early advantage.
Roma continued to attack with confidence, and their pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Marten de Roon opened the scoring to make it 1-0.
The midfielder received the ball from Soulé and unleashed a powerful right-footed effort from outside the penalty area. The shot took a deflection off teammate Malen, changing its direction and leaving Courtois unable to prevent the ball from entering the net.
The home supporters celebrated, but Madrid responded five minutes later to restore parity.
In the 25th minute, Mbappé made it 1-1 with a right-footed strike from outside the penalty area. The French forward capitalised on a defensive error involving Hermoso before driving towards goal and releasing his shot. The ball deflected off Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, wrong-footing goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini on its way into the net.
The goal marked Mbappé’s 100th appearance in the Champions League, making the occasion even more significant for the Madrid forward.
Roma refused to retreat after conceding, however, and Malen nearly restored their advantage when a powerful effort slipped underneath Courtois. The goalkeeper recovered in time to prevent the ball from crossing the line, sparing Madrid another setback.
At the other end, Madrid threatened through Marc Cucurella, whose right-footed attempt narrowly missed the target after he controlled a long pass from Courtois and advanced into the penalty area. Jude Bellingham also came close during a rapid counterattack shortly before the interval, but his left-footed effort went just wide.
The teams went into half-time level at 1-1, leaving the match finely balanced ahead of an increasingly eventful second period.
Roma regained the lead six minutes after the restart when Malen struck in the 51st minute to make it 2-1.
The Dutch forward capitalised on a quick attacking move initiated by substitute Rodrigo Mora, who supplied a precise pass into his path. Malen took the ball in his stride before lifting his finish over Courtois. The Madrid goalkeeper could not recover quickly enough to stop the ball from entering the net.
The goal restored Roma’s confidence, and the hosts continued to exploit weaknesses in Madrid’s defensive organisation.
Malen struck again in the 57th minute, with the goal subsequently confirmed following a VAR review, extending Roma’s advantage to 3-1.
Soulé supplied the decisive pass, sending Malen through on goal. The forward timed his run, broke into the penalty area and finished past Courtois to complete his brace.
The assistant referee initially raised the flag for offside, but the video assistant referee reviewed the incident and determined that the goal should stand. Roma celebrated the decision as the scoreboard moved to 3-1, leaving Madrid facing the prospect of defeat.
Madrid needed an immediate response, and manager José Mourinho turned to his substitutes for fresh attacking impetus. Endrick entered the match in the 59th minute, bringing greater urgency and directness to the visitors’ forward play.
The Brazilian quickly became central to Madrid’s comeback, repeatedly challenging Roma’s defence and helping his teammates maintain pressure around the penalty area.
Mbappé appeared to give Madrid a lifeline when he found the net in the 67th minute, but the effort was ruled out for a marginal offside. The decision denied the visitors a potential second goal and preserved Roma’s two-goal advantage.
Madrid nevertheless continued searching for a breakthrough, and their persistence finally paid off in the 83rd minute.
Güler delivered a corner into the penalty area, where Endrick rose to direct a header towards goal. Gollini could not hold the attempt, allowing Espí to react quickest and turn the rebound into the net from close range.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but another VAR review overturned the decision, confirming that Espí had been in a legal position. The score became 3-2, and Madrid suddenly had renewed belief that they could rescue the match.
Roma were unable to contain the visitors’ momentum, and Madrid equalised in the 85th minute.
Once again, Güler provided the delivery from a corner, and Endrick rose above the defenders to direct a powerful header beyond Gollini. The Brazilian’s finish made it 3-3, completing Madrid’s recovery from two goals down and leaving the Stadio Olimpico stunned.
The equaliser changed the atmosphere of the contest. Roma, who had appeared firmly in control only minutes earlier, now faced the possibility of losing a match they had led 3-1.
Madrid sensed an opportunity to complete the turnaround and continued attacking. Bellingham came close to putting the visitors ahead when he met another Güler corner with a header that narrowly missed the target.
The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute, when Rüdiger completed Madrid’s extraordinary comeback to make it 4-3.
Güler delivered another dangerous corner into the penalty area, and Rüdiger connected with an acrobatic right-footed finish from close range to beat Gollini. The defender’s goal completed a remarkable sequence in which all three of Madrid’s late strikes originated from corners delivered by Güler.
The goal also carried additional significance because Rüdiger had previously represented Roma’s city rivals, adding another layer of drama to an already unforgettable evening.
Roma attempted to respond during the closing minutes, but Madrid held on to secure a dramatic victory. Álvaro Carreras received a yellow card in stoppage time for a foul on Lorenzo Pellegrini as tensions remained high towards the final whistle.
The result highlighted Madrid’s resilience and their ability to remain competitive even when defeat appeared imminent. However, Roma will have serious questions to answer after conceding three times from set pieces in the closing stages.
For Madrid, Endrick’s introduction proved instrumental, while Güler’s delivery from corners repeatedly exposed Roma’s defensive weaknesses. Espí’s goal reignited the contest, Endrick restored parity, and Rüdiger delivered the decisive finish to complete one of the most dramatic comebacks of the Champions League campaign.
Roma had produced an impressive attacking performance for much of the evening, with De Roon opening the scoring and Malen registering a brace. Nevertheless, their inability to protect a 3-1 advantage ultimately proved costly.
Real Madrid’s 4-3 victory secured another memorable European comeback, demonstrating the importance of persistence, effective substitutions and set-piece execution. For Roma, the defeat was a painful collapse after a performance that had placed them within touching distance of a famous victory.
Final score: AS Roma 3-4 Real Madrid.
