Mourinho: 'Real Madrid impossible to stop, Roma players were dead' in 4-3 defeat
Quick summary
Jose Mourinho acknowledged Roma's 4-3 defeat to Real Madrid, praising the Spanish side as 'impossible to stop' while admitting his own players were 'dead' during the match.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceJose 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
Mourinho and the Real Madrid avalanche 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.
“They surprised us at the start by using Matias Soulé on the wing, creating superiority in that area. We conceded a ridiculous goal that you cannot allow at this level.
“After going 3-1 down, perhaps everyone thought the game was dead, but the only ones who were dead were the Roma players. It is very difficult to play with this intensity and the style of football that they have.
“We made some changes, because conceding three, four or five doesn’t make much difference. Roma were unable to handle the avalanche of attacking football that we unleashed.”
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Endrick of Real Madrid celebrates after 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) The most important substitution was Endrick, a player who Roma have tried to sign over the summer and will attempt to get on loan again in January.
“I was asked yesterday whether Roma could get Endrick on loan and I said it was impossible,” replied Mourinho.
“It’s impossible because I know his talent and what he can give. Poor Mario Hermoso, he had to deal with Yan Diomande for 70 minutes, we killed him. Then Koulierakis came on and I don’t think he could do much about it either.”
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid, reacts 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) This is the second time Real Madrid have beaten an Italian team in the Champions League when hardly deserving to, as their 2-1 victory over Inter at the Bernabeu was chaotic and wide open too.
Mourinho made a gesture towards the stands at the final whistle, what did that mean?
“Nothing, we won and I was celebrating. I have the utmost respect for Roma.”
Source attribution: this article content is based on the linked publisher feed/source. Chance adds independent soccer context, impact analysis, entity links, and related news.
What happened
Roma manager Jose Mourinho reacted to his side's 4-3 loss against Real Madrid in European competition, conceding that the opposition were 'impossible to stop' at certain moments. Mourinho was critical of his own squad, claiming several Roma players looked 'dead' on the pitch, suggesting fatigue or a lack of competitive edge. Despite the defeat, the narrow scoreline suggests Roma competed, but Mourinho's comments underline concerns about the physical and mental state of his squad against elite opposition.
Chance analysis
Mourinho's blunt assessment cuts to the heart of Roma's limitations when facing Champions League-caliber opposition. Labeling his own players as 'dead' is a pointed critique that signals deeper issues with squad conditioning, motivation, or quality. For Roma supporters, the takeaway is sobering: matching Real Madrid in a 4-3 thriller offers little comfort when the manager publicly questions his team's vitality. It also reinforces the gap between Serie A's European contenders and the continent's elite, a recurring theme for Italian clubs in continental competition.
Roma's defensive vulnerabilities and fitness concerns are highlighted, while Real Madrid's attacking threat is further validated ahead of future fixtures.