Mourinho won a European trophy with Roma, and he takes Real Madrid back to the Olimpico on Wednesday night
Roma play their first home Champions League game since 2019 against their old manager, with Gasperini’s unbeaten side missing Svilar and Mbappé set for his 100th appearance in the competition.
Oct 14, 2026
José Mourinho left Roma in January 2024. On Wednesday night he walks back into the Stadio Olimpico as Real Madrid’s head coach, for a Champions League game that Roma have waited seven and a half years to play at home. Kick-off is at 12:30am IST on Thursday.
Roma’s last home game in this competition was a 2-1 win over Porto in the last 16 in February 2019. They went out in the second leg, and it took Gian Piero Gasperini’s first season, and a third-placed finish in Serie A, to get them back.
“For 90 minutes we’re going to be opponents”
Mourinho won the first Conference League with Roma in 2022, beating Feyenoord in Tirana, and took them to the Europa League final a year later, which they lost to Sevilla. He has not been shy about what the place means to him. “I don’t hide the fact that the Roma fans are special,” he said on Tuesday. He also said he would like to see both clubs go through, and joked that he might be back in Rome for a quarter-final.
Gasperini was happy to let the old manager have his moment, up to a point. “I’m convinced that when the game begins, all emotions will be set aside and people will support Roma exclusively,” he said. Asked what he admired about Mourinho, he picked out his ability to persuade clubs to buy extraordinary players, which was not entirely a compliment.
Roma are unbeaten, Madrid are not
On form, Roma come in the better side. They are third in Serie A after six games, unbeaten with four wins and two draws, and they have conceded three goals. Inter and Lazio are two points ahead. Their Champions League campaign began with a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahçe.
Madrid beat Inter 2-1 at the Bernabéu on the opening night, but La Liga has been harder. They lost the derby 2-1 at Atlético, are fourth, and sit six points behind a Barcelona side that has won all eight. The 1-0 win over Villarreal at the weekend came with Vinícius Júnior sent off and Mourinho skipping his press conference. The red card was domestic, so Vinícius can play in Rome.
Team news
Roma are without goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who has a stress fracture and is out for at least a month, so Pierluigi Gollini, who deputised at Como, is expected to start. Bryan Cristante is also missing. Donyell Malen, who leads Serie A with six goals in six games, was sent off in the 0-0 draw at Como at the weekend, but that ban is for Serie A only and he is available here.
Madrid are without Éder Militão. Kylian Mbappé is set to make his 100th Champions League appearance, which would make him the youngest player to reach the mark. He has 71 goals in 99 games, level with Raúl in fifth on the all-time list, and one more takes him clear.
What to expect
I think Roma can get something here. They have been the more solid team all season, and the crowd will be loud for their first Champions League night at home since 2019. Madrid have looked edgy since the derby, too. But this is still a side with Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius in it, and Roma will be without their first-choice keeper. A draw would not be a bad night for either of them.