Real Madrid staged a stunning late comeback to defeat Roma 4–3 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, scoring three goals in the closing minutes to turn a 3–1 deficit into a remarkable away victory.
Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger struck late at the Stadio Olimpico to complete the turnaround, with the decisive sequence lasting just seven minutes and 43 seconds, according to statistics cited by GOAL.
Roma appeared on course for victory after taking a two-goal lead through Donyell Malen’s second strike early in the second half. The hosts had earlier gone ahead through Marten de Roon, before Kylian Mbappé equalised on his 100th Champions League appearance.
Malen scored twice in the opening stages of the second half to put Roma 3–1 ahead, leaving the 15-time European champions facing defeat on José Mourinho’s return to his former club.
However, Madrid launched their response in the 82nd minute when Espí capitalised on the rebound from an Endrick header to reduce the deficit. Endrick then levelled the contest with another header from an Arda Güler corner before Rüdiger completed the comeback with an acrobatic finish in the 89th minute.
The result added another remarkable chapter to Real Madrid’s European history. Opta noted that Madrid had won more European Cup and Champions League matches after trailing by at least two goals than any other club, with the victory over Roma marking their fifth such comeback.
The comeback was also reported as the latest point in a Champions League match at which an away side had been trailing by at least two goals and still gone on to win, excluding matches decided after extra time.
For Mourinho, the victory made for a dramatic return to Rome, where he had previously led Roma to the UEFA Europa Conference League title and the Europa League final. For Madrid, it was a second win in their opening two Champions League league-phase fixtures.
The comeback reinforced the club’s reputation for late European drama, as three goals in less than eight minutes transformed what looked like a damaging defeat into a memorable 4–3 triumph.
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