Real Madrid stun Roma 4-3 with late rally as Vinicius gets four-match ban
Representative image: tlemens / Pixabay
Real Madrid scored three times in about seven minutes to beat Roma 4-3 on October 14, 2026, the same day Vinicius Junior was banned for four league games.
What Happened
Real Madrid came from 3-1 down to beat AS Roma 4-3 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the second round of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Three goals in roughly seven minutes near the end, all coming from corner kicks, turned the game around, with defender Antonio Rüdiger scoring the winner in the final minutes. On the same day, the disciplinary committee of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) handed Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior a four-match domestic ban, which rules him out of El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25.
Key Facts
- Final score: AS Roma 3, Real Madrid 4, Champions League league phase, Matchday 2, Stadio Olimpico, October 14, 2026.
- Marten de Roon put Roma ahead and Kylian Mbappé equalised before half-time.
- Donyell Malen scored twice for Roma, in the 51st and 57th minutes, to make it 3-1.
- Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scored Real Madrid's late goals, all from corners.
- Real Madrid now have two wins from two league-phase games; Roma have one point.
- Vinícius was banned for four La Liga games: two for violent conduct and two for protesting to the referee.
- The ban follows his red card for pulling Villarreal player Nathan Saliba's hair in a 1-0 league win.
Why It Matters
For Real Madrid, the night in Rome was a test of nerve as much as quality. Trailing by two goals with little time left away from home is usually decisive in European football, and Roma had looked in control after Malen's two quick goals early in the second half. The comeback, built entirely from set pieces, keeps Madrid's start to the new league phase perfect and avoids an early setback in a format where every point affects seeding for the knockout rounds.
The match also carried a personal storyline. Real Madrid's coach José Mourinho was returning to the club he managed for two and a half years, where he won the UEFA Europa Conference League and reached a Europa League final. Roma, now coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, will feel they let a famous result slip, and they stay on one point after two games.
The Vinícius ban is the bigger domestic story. According to the disciplinary decision as reported, two games were given under the article covering violent conduct and two under the article on protests to match officials, with the minimum penalty applied in each case. The suspension covers Real Madrid's league games against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing de Santander and Valencia. It applies only to Spanish domestic competition, so he remains available for the Champions League.
Losing the Brazilian winger for the first Clásico of the 2026-27 season removes one of Madrid's most direct attacking threats from the most-watched fixture in Spanish football. The red card against Villarreal had already drawn wide criticism, and the length of the ban reflects the referee's report that he kept protesting after being sent off.
Match / Detail Roma 3-4 Real Madrid | October 14, 2026, Stadio Olimpico Roma scorers | Marten de Roon, Donyell Malen (2) Real Madrid scorers | Kylian Mbappé, Carlos Espí, Endrick, Antonio Rüdiger Vinícius ban | Four La Liga games, decided October 14, 2026 Games he misses | Sevilla, Barcelona (October 25), Racing de Santander, Valencia
Impact
Short-term: Real Madrid go into the weekend with confidence from a dramatic away win but must plan their attack for the Clásico without Vinícius. Mourinho will have to choose between younger forwards such as Endrick and Espí, both of whom scored in Rome, or change his system. Spanish media reported that the club intended to appeal the ban, but at the time of writing the four-game suspension stood.
Long-term: Two wins from two give Madrid a strong base in the league phase, where final position decides the route into the knockout rounds. Roma, with one point, face pressure to win their next European games to stay in the race for a play-off place. For Vinícius, the length of the ban adds to scrutiny of his on-field discipline.
Who is affected: Real Madrid and Barcelona supporters, who will see the Clásico without one of its biggest names; Roma fans after a painful home defeat; and the many viewers across India and elsewhere who follow the Champions League and La Liga on television and streaming services.
Key Takeaway
Real Madrid's set-piece comeback in Rome kept their Champions League start perfect, but Vinícius Júnior's four-game ban means they will face Barcelona on October 25 without him.
Questions and Answers
What was the score in Roma vs Real Madrid?
Real Madrid won 4-3 at the Stadio Olimpico on October 14, 2026, after trailing 3-1. Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scored late goals, all from corners, after Kylian Mbappé's first-half equaliser.
Why was Vinícius Júnior banned for four games?
He was sent off for pulling Villarreal player Nathan Saliba's hair in a league match. The Spanish federation's disciplinary committee gave him two games for violent conduct and two more for protesting to the referee.
Will Vinícius play in El Clásico against Barcelona?
No, unless the ban is changed. The four-game suspension covers Real Madrid's league matches against Sevilla, Barcelona on October 25, Racing de Santander and Valencia. It does not apply to the Champions League.
Who scored for Roma against Real Madrid?
Marten de Roon opened the scoring and Donyell Malen scored twice in the second half, in the 51st and 57th minutes, before Real Madrid's late comeback.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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