Jose Mourinho insists ‘Real Madrid were impossible to stop’ in the final 20 minutes of their 4-3 victory . ‘They thought the game was dead, but it was the Roma players who were dead.’

It was a special night for the Special One, returning to the Stadio Olimpico for the first time as an opponent and receiving several emotional banners from the home fans, including a giant depiction of him holding the Conference League trophy.

ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: General view inside the stadium during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between AS Roma and Real Madrid C.F. at Stadio Olimpico on October 14, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

He thought that he was going to leave here empty-handed after the Giallorossi surged into a 3-1 lead with Marten de Roon’s strike and a Donyell Malen brace, but corner kicks made the difference.

Real Madrid have scored a lot of late goals this season and continued the trend, as Carlos Espi, Endrick and former Roma defender Antonio Rudiger all met set plays to turn the game around from the 83 rd minute to the 90 th .

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Roma 3-4 Real Madrid

ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between AS Roma and Real Madrid C.F. at Stadio Olimpico on October 14, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

“You can say it was two games in one, Roma were superior in every aspect for the first, and then Real Madrid were impossible to stop during that 20 minutes,” Mourinho told Amazon Prime Video Italia.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Mourinho: ‘Real Madrid impossible to stop, Roma players were dead’ for 4-3 defeat" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Live Commentary metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

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