Real Madrid travel to Roma on Wednesday, October 14, for their second Champions League league-phase match. Kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico is 8pm UK time. Madrid won their opener 2-1 at home to Inter Milan, while Roma drew 1-1 away at Fenerbahçe.
José Mourinho returns to the Stadio Olimpico as Real Madrid head coach. He previously led Roma to the 2021-22 UEFA Conference League title and has faced Roma seven times as a manager, recording three wins, three draws and one defeat.
The article’s claim that Carlo Ancelotti is Madrid’s manager is incorrect. Mourinho is in charge of Madrid, while Roma are coached by Gian Piero Gasperini.
The match is the 13th Champions League meeting between the clubs, not their 28th overall. Madrid lead the European head-to-head with eight wins to Roma’s three, with one draw.
Roma’s only victory in that Champions League sequence came in 2018-19, not 2012. They won 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in the group stage, although Madrid still advanced.
Madrid’s injury list is longer than the article suggests. Rodrygo and Raúl Asencio are out, but Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy are also unavailable. Álvaro Morata is not part of Madrid’s squad.
Kylian Mbappé is fit and expected to feature after returning from a knee issue. Vinícius Júnior is also available, despite recent criticism from supporters.
Roma’s injury situation is also more complicated than the article states. Mile Svilar is out, while Bryan Cristante is a doubt. Their expected attack includes Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen.
Roma are not second in Serie A behind Inter Milan, nor are they managed by Paulo Fonseca. Gasperini’s side drew 0-0 with Bologna in their most recent league match and sit ninth in Serie A.
Madrid are not recovering from an opening-day draw against Valencia. They beat Villarreal 1-0 in their most recent La Liga match and opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter.
The fixture is a league-phase match, not a group-stage tie, and it will not decide either club’s European fate this early. Madrid have three points from one game; Roma have one. The more immediate challenge is whether Mourinho’s side can maintain their winning start against a Roma team seeking its first Champions League win of the season.
