Real Madrid wowed on Wednesday with a fantastic late rally to beat Roma 4-3 in the UEFA Champions League at the Stadio Olimpico, netting their first three goals in the late stages.
The meeting proved to be the highlight of the weekend for Jose Mourinho, the man who had once played for his former team, while it also helped Madrid’s bid to roll into the second game of the competition with a brace of victories.
Roma started off well and the lead was given in the 20th minute by Marten de Roon. The visitors looked menacing up front, but their threat was short-lived before Kylian Mbappe was able to capitalise on Mario Hermoso’s error to level the score.
The target meant much more to Mbappe as he made his 100th Champions League appearance. He was also 72 goals to his name in the tournament, placing him in the top five all-time scorers behind former Madrid forward, Raul Gonzalez.
After the break, Roma took control and Donyell Malen scored back-to-back. His first finish put Roma back in the game after a VAR look put them 3-1 up, and Madrid were up a steep challenge.
Madrid pressed on for a reply, but Mbappe was once again denied due to offside. A remarkable string of events ensued in the latter stages that turned that game around as the visitors found their breakthrough.
Endrick headed the ball home to make it even, but Carlos Espir put Madrid ahead again with a close-range finish. The return trip culminated with Antonio Rudiger’s comeback in the 90th minute, who sent the travelling fans into a frenzy and left the home fans in disbelief.
The three late goals came from set pieces, underlining Madrid’s point that when it looked like a match was slipping away, they were the most effective from them.
