Roma vs Real Madrid: UEFA Champions League Preview, Team News, and Possible Lineups

Roma vs Real Madrid at Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, in UEFA Champions League league-phase Matchday 2, with kick-off at 10:00pm EAT. SportPesa Score is the place to follow confirmed lineups, live scores and the changing league table, while SportPesa Kenya football provides the available football markets for eligible readers.

Roma arrive unbeaten across their first seven competitive matches, while Real Madrid opened the Champions League with a 2–1 win over Inter. José Mourinho’s return to face his former club provides an additional storyline as Gian Piero Gasperini prepares Roma for their first home match in this season’s league phase.

READ ALSO: Champions League draw 2026/27: opponents and biggest fixtures

Roma drew 1–1 away to Fenerbahçe in their opening league-phase match. According to Real Madrid’s official pre-match report, Roma have recorded four wins and three draws from seven competitive outings, while their Serie A campaign has left them in the leading group of clubs.

Madrid defeated Inter 2–1 in their Champions League opener and won 1–0 against Villarreal in their most recent domestic match. Their league-phase progress now depends on maintaining that momentum in Rome.

READ ALSO: Champions League 2026/27 standings and qualification places

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed goalkeeper Mile Svilar faces a spell out with a finger fracture, leaving Pierluigi Gollini in contention for goalkeeping duties. Bryan Cristante has also been reported unavailable. Roma’s selection after the match against Como requires checking the final squad and official matchday team sheet.

Real Madrid announced a travelling squad featuring Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé. Dean Huijsen is also in the travelling group. Inclusion in the squad does not guarantee a starting place. Vinícius’s domestic red card against Villarreal does not automatically establish a UEFA suspension.

Possible Roma XI (reported, not confirmed): Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Soulé; Malen.

Possible Real Madrid XI (reported, not confirmed): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Güler; Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé. These selections may change; check the official team sheets through SportPesa Score before kick-off.

READ ALSO: José Mourinho: career, trophies and return to Real Madrid

UEFA’s Champions League head-to-head record gives Real Madrid eight wins, Roma three and one draw across 12 meetings. Madrid scored 24 goals and Roma nine in those fixtures. The two most recent competitive encounters were Madrid’s 3–0 home and 2–0 away wins in the 2018/19 league’s predecessor group phase.

Historical friendlies should not be added to the official UEFA competitive record.

Roma’s seven-match unbeaten start (four wins, three draws) contrasts with Madrid’s winning Champions League opener. Donyell Malen leads Roma’s domestic scoring according to Madrid’s official preview, while the attacking movement of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé could matter in Roma’s approach through the inside channels.

For Madrid, Mbappé and Vinícius can threaten space behind an advancing defence, while Bellingham and Valverde offer runs and control through midfield. The key question is whether Roma can sustain their pressure without exposing the spaces that Madrid’s forwards are capable of attacking.

Roma’s use of wing-backs can stretch Madrid’s back line, but the same system can leave transition spaces when possession turns over. Madrid must decide when to press aggressively and when to keep enough players behind the ball to limit Roma’s wide combinations. Set-piece defending and midfield second balls are likely to shape periods of territorial control.

For confirmed lineups, match incidents and standings, follow SportPesa Score. Kenyan television arrangements were not independently verified at the time of publication.

READ ALSO: UEFA Champions League: fixtures, results, table and teams

Madrid’s eight victories in 12 previous Champions League meetings give them the stronger historical record, but Roma’s seven-match unbeaten opening to the campaign and their home setting offer important counterpoints. Madrid’s pace in attack and Roma’s wing-back positioning make transition defence a central issue. Those facts provide context for the prediction query without an editorial winner, scoreline or betting selection.

Readers who want to compare available football markets can visit SportPesa Kenya football markets. Market selections and odds can change and should be checked on the platform.

Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at 10:00pm EAT.

At Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

Real Madrid have eight wins, compared with Roma’s three, with one draw in UEFA’s competition record.

Follow SportPesa Score for up-to-date match information.

Roma vs Real Madrid brings together Gasperini’s unbeaten side and a Madrid team seeking a second straight Champions League league-phase victory. The historical record favours Madrid, but Roma’s early-season resilience and the contest between their wing-backs and Madrid’s attack make this a compelling match. Follow the confirmed lineups and result on SportPesa Score, and use SportPesa Kenya to explore currently available football markets.