On an exhilarating night at Stadio Olimpico, Real Madrid left it very, very late in a dramatic 4-3 victory over AS Roma. Down 3-1 into the 80th minute, José Mourinho's team were facing another humbling Champions League defeat, a loss that would have raised more questions about Madrid's trophy prospects this season and about Mourinho's long-term future at the club he took over four months ago.
But Mourinho responded, and so did his team. Seven explosive minutes changed the narrative. At the hour mark, Mourinho sent in Endrick and Arda Güler as substitutions, and 18 minutes later he added Carlos Espí. The three substitutes were involved in all three of Real Madrid's late goals. Espí pounced to make it 3-2 in the 82nd minute, with the chance created by Endrick, who was electric and was rightly named the game's MVP by UEFA. Two minutes later, Endrick's own header made it 3-3. Both goals came from corners, as Roma couldn't deal with Güler's deliveries. In the 90th minute, another Güler cross allowed Antonio Rüdiger to make it 4-3. Güler finished with two assists.
Still, the stretch before the comeback was deeply concerning for fans looking ahead to a Clásico with Barcelona at Camp Nou later this month. Gian Piero Gasperini's side were much too good for Madrid for long spells. Their defense looked porous as Donyell Malen scored twice after halftime, their midfield was underpowered, and Vinícius Júnior was anonymous, with just 22 touches before being substituted in the 59th minute.
Mourinho's tactical choices drew scrutiny as well. He started Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande and Vinícius in a full counterattacking front four, and continued to pick Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni as his double pivot despite long-standing doubts about their control. The comeback was vintage Real Madrid in Europe, but it did little to dispel the theory that Mourinho's most dominant phase is long past.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing