Real Madrid staged a breathtaking Champions League comeback at a stunned Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, scoring three goals in a frantic seven-minute spell to snatch a 4-3 victory over Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma. In an eventful night of European action across the continent, Shakhtar Donetsk marked their temporary home debut in London with a win, Bodø/Glimt continued their giant-killing streak against Borussia Dortmund, and Aston Villa romped to a club-record European victory against Fenerbahce.
The marquee fixture in the Italian capital carried immense emotional resonance, revolving heavily around a warm reunion for former Roma manager José Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician enjoyed a beloved two-and-a-half-year tenure in charge of the Giallorossi, famously leading the club to the UEFA Conference League title and a subsequent Europa League final. Ahead of Roma’s first home Champions League match in more than seven years, the home faithful paid heartfelt tribute to their former boss with expansive banners and resounding chants.
Once the whistle blew, however, sentimentality was cast aside. Roma started on the front foot, with defender Mario Hermoso forcing Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into a spectacular flying fingertip save early on. The hosts’ aggressive, full-throttle approach—a trademark of manager Gian Piero Gasperini—soon yielded a deserved breakthrough in the 20th minute. Marten de Roon received the ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a precise, powerful sweep past Courtois to ignite the Stadio Olimpico. Roma nearly doubled their advantage shortly after when Donyell Malen unleashed a ferocious strike that squirmed underneath Courtois before being cleared desperately off the line.
Despite controlling the early proceedings, a single lapse in concentration proved fatal for the Italian side. Just five minutes after opening the scoring, Hermoso misjudged a routine interception, presenting Kylian Mbappé with a clear, unobstructed run at goal. The French superstar capitalized immediately, driving forward before seeing his deflected shot fly into the roof of the net past a helpless Courtois.
The strike marked a historic milestone for Mbappé on his 100th Champions League appearance. At just 27 years old, he stands as the youngest player ever to reach the prestigious century mark in the competition. Furthermore, his 72nd tournament goal propelled him past Real Madrid legend Raúl González and into the all-time top five goalscorers in Champions League history.
The equalizer successfully subdued the buoyant home crowd and stabilized Mourinho’s visiting squad, who ended the first half firmly on the front foot as both Marc Cucurella and Jude Bellingham came close to finding a second before the interval.
Roma Take Game to Real Madrid
True to his pre-match promise that Roma would refuse to compromise their fearless style regardless of the opposition, Gasperini’s side emerged from the dressing room firing on all cylinders for the second half.
Roma quickly restored their advantage when half-time substitute Rodrigo Mora slipped a neat pass to Malen. The Dutch forward took the ball brilliantly in his stride with his first touch and lofted it smoothly over the onrushing Courtois with his second to make it 2-1.
Things went from exceptional to astonishing for the hosts just six minutes later. Malen raced onto a perfectly weighted through ball and powered home a fierce finish. Though initially flagged for offside, a lengthy VAR review confirmed the striker was onside, sparking wild celebrations in the stands as Roma established a commanding two-goal cushion against the 15-time European champions.
Real Madrid desperately sought a response, with Mbappé testing goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini twice in quick succession before having a second goal of the night chalked off for offside. As the clock wound down, it appeared the Italian side was comfortably en route to securing a famous scalp.
However, the 15-time European champions unlocked the Roma defense through a relentless barrage of set-pieces. In the space of seven frantic minutes late in the game, three corner kicks completely turned the fixture on its head. Carlos Espi struck first, reacting quickest to tuck home a close-range rebound following an initial header. Just two minutes later, young Brazilian sensation Endrick rose highest inside the penalty area to power home a header from another corner, leveling the score at 3-3.
The decisive final blow arrived in the 90th minute. Antonio Rüdiger, facing his former club, brilliantly anticipated his marker at another late set-piece to guide a close-range finish past Gollini. The former Roma defender’s strike sealed an extraordinary comeback, leaving the Stadio Olimpico in absolute shock and handing Real Madrid all three points to bring their tally to six from two league phase matches, while Roma were left with just one point.
Shakhtar Donetsk Beat AEK Athens in London Debut
While drama unfolded in Rome, Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk celebrated a momentous occasion in English football. Displaced by ongoing conflict in their homeland, the nomadic club formally established their new Champions League "home" at Stamford Bridge in London, welcoming thousands of passionate fans draped in blue-and-yellow national flags.
The emotional atmosphere initially inspired the visitors, but it was Greek side AEK Athens who drew first blood through Lovro Majer in the 28th minute. Shakhtar showed immense character to respond swiftly, with Pedrinho converting confidently from the penalty spot just six minutes later to restore parity.
As the match entered its closing stages, the Ukrainian side seized control. With approximately ten minutes of normal time remaining, Vinicius Tobias squeezed a clever effort home from a remarkably tight angle to give Shakhtar the lead. Substitute Gleiker Mendoza subsequently wrapped up the result in style, cutting in from the left flank before smashing a ferocious shot past the goalkeeper. The 3-1 victory lifts Shakhtar to four points after two league phase matches, building nicely upon their opening draw against PSV Eindhoven.
Giant-Killers Bodø Sink Dortmund in Champions League
In Norway, Bodø/Glimt continued their astonishing reputation as giant-killers on home turf, extending a remarkable record against Europe’s elite clubs on the artificial turf of the Aspmyra stadium.
Having previously scalped the likes of Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Sporting, Bodø added 2024 Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund to their illustrious list of victims. Fredrik Sjøvold proved to be the match-winner, breaking the deadlock in the 52nd minute with a composed strike that caught the German defense off guard.
Dortmund improved significantly in the final half-hour of the contest, pressing hard for an equalizer and coming close through Felix Nmecha, but the Norwegian side’s defense held firm to secure a famous 1-0 clean-sheet victory.
Aston Villa Put Six Past Fenerbahce in Record Rout
Meanwhile, in England, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa produced a historic masterclass to record their biggest-ever European victory, thrashing Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park.
The resounding win marked Villa’s first home victory of the European campaign, maintaining their perfect 100 percent start in the elite club competition. Swiss forward Johan Manzambi opened the floodgates for the hosts before summer signing Nicolas Jackson netted twice before the interval to put the game firmly beyond reach.
The second half continued in the same dominant fashion as veteran midfielder Ross Barkley added two well-taken goals of his own. Substitute Tammy Abraham rounded off the historic night with a late strike, completing a memorable six-goal rout in front of jubilant home supporters.