The thrilling encounter saw José Mourinho’s side recover from a difficult position against his former club, with Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger scoring late goals to complete a memorable turnaround.
Roma appeared to be in control after Donyell Malen scored twice early in the second half, but Madrid refused to surrender and turned the contest around through a devastating spell of attacking pressure.
Mbappé marks Champions League milestone
Roma started brightly and threatened early through Mario Hermoso, whose effort forced Thibaut Courtois into an important save.
The hosts took the lead in the 20th minute when Marten de Roon struck from distance. His effort took a deflection off Malen, leaving Courtois unable to keep the ball out.
Madrid responded five minutes later through Kylian Mbappé. The French forward capitalised on a defensive mistake before firing home a deflected effort to restore parity at 1–1.
The goal was particularly significant for Mbappé, who was making his 100th Champions League appearance. At 27, he became the youngest player to reach that milestone and moved ahead of former Madrid striker Raúl González in the competition’s all-time scoring rankings.
Despite the equaliser, Roma continued to create opportunities, while Madrid also threatened before the interval.
Malen strikes twice as Roma take control
Roma regained the lead shortly after half-time when Malen finished confidently after being played through by substitute Rodrigo Mora.
The Dutch forward then scored again six minutes later, racing onto a pass and powering the ball past Courtois. The goal was initially ruled out for offside but was awarded following a VAR review, giving Roma a 3–1 advantage.
Madrid searched for a response, with Mbappé testing goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini. The Frenchman appeared to have scored again, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
With time running out, the visitors needed an extraordinary finish to avoid defeat.
Espí and Endrick ignite Madrid’s comeback
Madrid’s revival began from a corner as the visitors increased their pressure on the Roma defence.
Carlos Espí pulled one back by reacting quickest to a rebound following a header, reducing the deficit to 3–2.
Just two minutes later, Endrick rose to head home from another corner, bringing Madrid level at 3–3 and leaving the home crowd stunned.
The equaliser transformed the contest, with Madrid sensing an opportunity to complete the comeback while Roma struggled to regain control.
Rüdiger seals dramatic victory
Madrid completed the turnaround in the 90th minute when Antonio Rüdiger got in front of his marker to finish from close range after another corner delivered by Arda Güler.
The goal made it 4–3 and capped an extraordinary late spell in which Madrid scored three times to overturn a two-goal deficit.
Rüdiger’s decisive strike sparked celebrations among the visiting players, while Roma were left to reflect on a match that had appeared firmly in their hands only minutes earlier.
What the result means
The victory gave Real Madrid their second win in their opening two Champions League league-phase matches, leaving them on six points.
Roma, meanwhile, remained on one point after their opening two fixtures.
For Madrid, the result highlighted the team’s resilience and effectiveness from set-pieces. For Roma, the late collapse will be a painful disappointment after Malen’s double had put them in a commanding position.
The result also gave Mourinho a memorable return to Rome, where he previously enjoyed a successful spell as head coach, as his Madrid side escaped with all three points in one of the competition’s most dramatic matches of the night.