Champions League line-ups: Roma vs. Real Madrid
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 10: Paulo Dybala of AS Roma holds the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Fenerbahce SK and AS Roma at Fenerbahce Sükrü Saracoglu Spor Kompleksi on September 10, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)
Roma face a huge Champions League test when hosting Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, with Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala up against Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).
This is a very special occasion, as it is the first Roma home fixture in the Champions League for seven years, and the first time Mourinho has been back here as an opponent since he was fired in January 2024.
He sat on their bench for 138 matches, winning the Conference League and reaching the Europa League Final, but was never able to qualify for this tournament.
Roma opened with a 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce, but have since lost goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante to injury.
Pierluigi Gollini made his first Serie A appearance in two years during Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Como, where Malen was sent off for a dangerous tackle, so the striker has something to prove tonight.
Dybala is confirmed upfront, but with Matias Soulé rather than Lorenzo Pellegrini or Rodrigo Mora in support.
Marten de Roon joins Manu Koné in midfield, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley on the wings.
Real Madrid beat Inter 2-1 in a chaotic encounter and have had a tense few days, as Vinicius Junior was sent off for hair-pulling in the 1-0 win over Villarreal.
Raul Asencio, Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Ibrahima Konaté and Ferland Mendy are still out of action, but Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rudiger are both former Roma players.
Ex-Inter full-back Denzel Dumfries is also on familiar territory, while Aurelien Tchouameni has lost his France midfield spot to Koné.
Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomande and Vinicius fan out behind Mbappé, leaving Arda Guler on the bench.
News filtered through this evening that Vinicius Junior will sit out a four-match LaLiga ban for the hair-pulling incident.
This is the 100th Champions League match for Mbappé, who so far has 72 goals in the competition.
Real Madrid have won their last four meetings with Roma, scoring nine goals and conceding zero, since a pair of 2-1 defeats in 2008.
Roma: Gollini; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Konè, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Soulé; Malen
Roma bench: Vasquez, De Marzi, Rensch, Koulierakis, Pellegrini, Castro, Balerdi, Pisilli, Lulli, Rodrigo Mora, Ghilardi
Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Rudiger, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Vinicius, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé
Real Madrid bench: Lunin, Sergio Mestre, Huijsen, Camavinga, Endrick, Alexander-Arnold, Arda Guler, Carreras, Carlos Espi, Bernardo Silva, Brahim Diaz, Thiago Pitarch
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