{"id":882968,"date":"2026-10-15T08:34:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/882968\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T08:34:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:34:47","slug":"real-madrid-player-ratings-vs-roma-youngsters-rescue-jose-mourinho-in-vintage-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/882968\/","title":{"rendered":"Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Roma: Youngsters Rescue Jose Mourinho in Vintage Comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Real Madrid overcame a two-goal deficit inside the last 10 minutes of the game to defeat Roma 4\u20133 in a simply remarkable, trademark Champions League comeback on Wednesday night. <\/p>\n

Roma were on the front foot from the start, taking the game to a visiting Real Madrid<\/a> side that looked outclassed in terms of energy, intensity and aggressiveness. After a couple of brilliant Thibaut Courtois saves, the hosts finally went ahead thanks to a long distance Marten de Roon strike that took a slight deflection 20 minutes in. <\/p>\n

Donyell Malen was inches away from doubling the lead minutes later, but when Real Madrid looked at their worst, a poor clearance attempt left the ball bouncing for Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 to fire a rocket from distance to equalize just five minutes later. <\/p>\n

But Los Blancos never looked like the better side, and they crumbled in the first 15 minutes of the second half. A costly Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior turnover led to Malen restoring Roma\u2019s lead and then he bagged his brace with a calm finish that was initially waved off for offside. <\/p>\n

Then came Jose Mourinho\u2019s substitutions that completely changed the game. The introduction of Endrick and Carlos Esp\u00ed revitalized Madrid\u2019s attack, and inside the final 10 minutes, the pair scored in a matter of seconds to equalize. In stoppage time, it was Antonio R\u00fcdiger who won from a corner to complete a simply incredible Real Madrid comeback. <\/p>\n

In arguably the best game of the young season, Real Madrid pulled off a historic comeback to make it two wins on the bounce to start their Champions League<\/a> campaign. The performance for much of the game was beyond worrying, but the 15-time European champions showed they\u2019re still capable of producing miracles out of nowhere in their favorite competition. <\/p>\n

The Problem That Won\u2019t Go Away\"Federico<\/p>\n

Federico Valverde struggled significantly against Roma. | Emmanuele Ciancaglini\/Ciancaphoto Studio\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

At what point will Real Madrid finally give up on deploying an Aur\u00e9lien Tchouam\u00e9ni\u2013Federico Valverde midfield double pivot? There is plenty of evidence that suggests it just doesn\u2019t work, and the midfield duo was once again lackluster on Wednesday night. <\/p>\n

Make no mistake, Tchouam\u00e9ni and Valverde are good players, but they don\u2019t work together as a pairing. Neither is capable of controlling game through their passing, nor disciplined enough positionally to avoid Madrid from playing basketball games defined by transitions. <\/p>\n

Against a Roma side that aggressively man-marks, having two midfielders that aren\u2019t exactly press-resistant led to dangerous turnovers in build up. Halfway through the first half, Courtois and Madrid\u2019s defenders opted to stop looking for their midfield duo and instead lobbed long balls up the pitch for the forwards to win. The midfield pairing finished the first half with just 33 completed passes combined\u2014Courtois had more accurate passes (19) than Tchouam\u00e9ni (17) and Valverde (16). <\/p>\n

Real Madrid are simply unable to control games with this midfield duo. They also clearly lack an organizer capable of resisting press and conducting possessions from deep, something Bernardo Silva<\/a> might be able to offer if Mourinho didn\u2019t seem uninterested in giving him significant minutes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s plenty of issues Real Madrid must fix, but it\u2019s incredibly puzzling that as managers come and go, Valverde and Tchouam\u00e9ni continue to start together in midfield. It\u2019s an indictment on the club\u2019s recruitment, but it\u2019s also on the manager to change something that\u2019s clearly not working. <\/p>\n

As a consequence of Madrid\u2019s uninspiring double pivot, Roma were the better team for much of the night, looking unthreatened defensively and capable of creating danger at any given moment.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Roma (4-2-3-1)\"Jude<\/p>\n

Antonio R\u00fcdiger (bottom) won the game for Real Madrid at the death. | Paolo Bruno\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*<\/a><\/p>\n

GK: Thibaut Courtois\u20146.4: The five-minute mark still hadn\u2019t arrived, and Courtois had already produced two magnificent saves to deny the hosts from taking an early lead. Despite conceding three, he was vital in keeping his team in the game. <\/p>\n

RB: Denzel Dumfries\u20145.7: Undisciplined in his marking of Paulo Dybala all game, allowing the Argentine time and space to manufacture Roma\u2019s attacks. Caught out of position routinely in a dreadful evening for the Dutchman. <\/p>\n

CB: Ibrahima Konat\u00e9\u20146.2: After a solid start he was completely dominated by Malen in the second half. <\/p>\n

CB: Antonio R\u00fcdiger\u20147.4: Tried to jump forward to intercept passes and left plenty of open space behind him routinely. Nevertheless, all of it will be forgotten after he scored the dramatic winner. <\/p>\n

LB: Marc Cucurella\u20146.3: Characteristically stout defensively but missed the clearest chance of the night, alone against the goalkeeper but dragging his shot wide. <\/p>\n

DM: Federico Valverde\u20147.2: Spent much of the game just jogging around the middle of the park without making any notable contributions. His bursts of speed to try to win possession back high up the pitch were unsuccessful and left Los Blancos exposed in midfield. <\/p>\n

DM: Aur\u00e9lien Tchouam\u00e9ni\u20146.9: Completely overwhelmed by Roma\u2019s man-marking which made him incredibly uncomfortable in possession. His defensive work wasn\u2019t much better either, constantly beaten by Matias Soul\u00e9. <\/p>\n

RW: Yan Diomande\u20148.5: Good from the teenager, who was constantly active in the final third and was also selfless out of possession, contributing to Madrid\u2019s ball-recovery efforts. <\/p>\n

AM: Jude Bellingham\u20147.4: Was isolated between a sea of Roma markers for much of the game. Although he tirelessly covered ground, he was unable to produce anything of note. <\/p>\n

LW: Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior\u20146.7: Disappeared for long stretches of the game but did tee-up Bellingham in a dangerous chance late in the first half. Still, he looks miles off his best version. A simply unforgivable turnover.<\/p>\n

ST: Kylian Mbapp\u00e9\u20148.2: Celebrated becoming the youngest player to make 100 Champions League appearances with yet another goal. His individual brilliance is the main and perhaps only avenue for Real Madrid\u2019s success currently.<\/p>\n

SUB: Arda G\u00fcler (59\u2019 for Dumfries)\u20148.3: Helped organize and control the game since his introduction, resulting in Roma retreating deep inside their halfway line. <\/p>\n

SUB: Endrick (59\u2019 for Vini Jr)\u20147.7: A menace for the entirety of his cameo, and it was his powerful header that equalized the game. Arguably the best minutes of his Real Madrid career. <\/p>\n

SUB: Bernardo Silva (70\u2019 for Tchouam\u00e9ni)\u20146.5: Not as involved in the late comeback, but he helped recycle possession during his cameo. <\/p>\n

SUB: \u00c1lvaro Carreras (78\u2019 for Cucurella)\u20146.2: Completed just four passes and got a yellow card. <\/p>\n

SUB: Carlos Esp\u00ed (78\u2019 for Diomande)\u20147.1: Continues to produce despite his limited minutes. The super-sub started Madrid\u2019s comeback with a poacher\u2019s finish. <\/p>\n

Subs not used:\u00a0Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Pitarch, Brahim D\u00edaz, Eduardo Camavinga. <\/p>\n

What the Ratings Tell Us\"Vin\u00edcius<\/p>\n

Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior\u2019s form is reaching incredibly alarming depths. | Dennis Agyeman\/Europa Press Sports\/Europa Press\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Denzel Dumfries offered next to nothing on either end of the pitch on Wednesday. The Dutchman has been Mourinho\u2019s top-choice right back all season, but after his worst performance in a Real Madrid shirt, it would be puzzling not to see Trent Alexander-Arnold challenge for the starting spot. It\u2019s not just that Vin\u00edcius J\u00fanior is immersed in a poor run of form; it\u2019s that he looks completely out of sorts, disengaged and careless. This current version has little left of a player that was arguably the best in the world three seasons ago, and his place in Real Madrid\u2019s XI should come into question. Endrick and Carlos Esp\u00ed might get more minutes as a result. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Jude Bellingham seem like the only players capable of rescuing Madrid\u2019s season, but dependence on individual brilliance won\u2019t suffice at this level. The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid\u2019s Incredible WinReal Madrid finished the game with an xG of 1.86, and the three late goals represented 1.17 of that total. Roma\u2019s last shot on goal of the game came in the 73rd minute, meanwhile Los Blancos registered five attempts on target after that. Real Madrid scored from the last three of the nine total corner kicks they had all game. Los Blancos finished the game with eight shots on target, and just one of them came in the first half (Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s goal).<\/p>\n

Statistic<\/p>\n

Roma<\/p>\n

Real Madrid<\/p>\n

Posession<\/p>\n

54%<\/p>\n

46%<\/p>\n

Expected Goals (xG)<\/p>\n

1.43<\/p>\n

1.83<\/p>\n

Total Shots<\/p>\n

14<\/p>\n

16<\/p>\n

Shots on Target<\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

Big Chances <\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

3<\/p>\n

Pass Accuracy<\/p>\n

86%<\/p>\n

84%<\/p>\n

Fouls<\/p>\n

15<\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

Corners<\/p>\n

5<\/p>\n

9<\/p>\n

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