Capello identifies Roma’s main threats for Real Madrid
Fabio Capello (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
Fabio Capello expects an ‘aggressive’ Roma against Real Madrid tonight and feels Paulo Dybala ‘can seriously trouble’ José Mourinho’s defence.
Roma host Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico tonight in their first home Champions League game since 2019.
The Giallorossi drew 1-1 in their first Champions League game this season, away at Fenerbahce, and drew 0-0 with Como in Serie A before tonight’s European fixture.
Capello: How Roma can hurt Real Madrid
The performance against Como leaves Capello confident Roma will be in good shape for tonight’s meeting with Real Madrid.
“In the first half against Como, I saw the best football played in our league so far. The team took the field confident, determined, and united,” Capello told Gazzetta.
“There were concerns that they might struggle in goal without Svilar, but Gollini proved more than capable. So, against Real Madrid, I expect an aggressive Roma, even though the opposition is at a higher level. Tactically, Gasperini will play man-to-man. That can cause problems, but it will require maximum concentration because Madrid have the quality, pace, and players to capitalize on the slightest mistake, especially when the midfield pushes higher up the pitch. I believe that will be the key to the match.
“However, Mourinho’s team also leaves defensive gaps, while Roma produce high-quality, consistently dangerous moves in attack,” the ex-Roma and Real Madrid coach added.
Real Madrid beat Inter 2-1 in their opening Champions League game this season, but have already suffered two defeats in six La Liga games, leaving them six points behind leaders Barcelona.
Capello, however, knows the La Liga giants remain a very dangerous side.
“Real have players who shoot extremely well from outside the box, such as Valverde, Arda Güler, and, of course, Mbappé,” he said.
“They are all top-level players, so Roma will have to be very careful. They must also remember that the Spaniards move the ball much faster than what we see in Serie A. Another interesting aspect will be seeing how determined Vinicius is to make amends after his foolish mistake against Villarreal on Saturday.”
So, who could be the key players at the Olimpico tonight?
“Malen and Mbappé are the players most likely to put the ball in the net,” the ex-coach replied.
“But watch out for Dybala too: in his position, he can seriously trouble their defense. The key is that he stays wary of a fast full-back like Cucurella.”
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