If, like me, you couldn’t tune in to today’s highly anticipated Champions League clash against Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico until the second half and came home to a 1-1 scoreline at the break, you were probably ecstatic. As well as Roma are playing domestically, this is still Real bleeping Madrid we’re talking about—there’s no shame in sharing the spoils with one of the most historic (and wealthiest) clubs of all time.
But then something wonderful happened. With the seal on the second half barely
broken, the Giallorossi not only grabbed an early, unexpected lead but, thanks to a double dip from Donyell Malen, Roma—our little Roma—held a two-goal lead over the mighty Galacticos.
The job wasn’t done, of course; there was still nearly half an hour to defend, but you had to love Roma’s chances. Even against Kylian Mbappé et ses amis, a two-goal lead felt safe and secure…ish. The chances of that scoreline holding were slim, but hey, after the resolve the backline showed last weekend against Como, surely the Giallorossi could circle the wagons and walk away with three points in hand.
However, in one of the most epic Roma Happened sequences we’ve ever seen since my predecessor coined the term over a decade ago, Gasperini’s group did just that, blowing a two-goal lead with only seven minutes plus stoppage time remaining, and then capitulating to the match winner, former Giallorossi defender Antonio Rüdiger, at the death.
See for yourself…
The first dagger, plunged into Roma’s heart by Spanish striker Carlos Espí, came via the short corner. After Endrick’s corner was saved by Pierluigi Gollini—a term we use loosely—Espí bounced on the rebound, beating Gollini with ease. We’ll have much more to say about this sequence in tomorrow’s Sinners & Saints (expect a lot of pitchforks), but neither Gollini nor Nahuel Molina, who stood motionless like a toddler staring at butterflies, covered themselves in glory.
Still, as we just mentioned, any club worth its salt should be able to defend a one-goal lead with five minutes left. Hell, the man on the other side of the ledger has made a career out of it, but Roma was having none of that!
Keep watching that clip, and you’ll see Endrick, who, after this performance, is in no way, shape, or form coming to Roma this winter, beat three Roma defenders with a perfectly timed header.
None of Marten de Roon, Leonardo Balerdi, or Konstantinos Koulierakis, who came on in the 81st after playing all of 31 minutes this season, could intervene, letting the 5’8” Endrick beat them to the spot. Top marks to Endrick, though; that was a wonderfully struck header.
Okay, a 3-3 draw against Mourinho’s Madrid wouldn’t be the worst result; after all, they’ve won this damn competition 15 times. It would have been a gut punch, but a point is a point. Sadly, that’s not how this nightmare ended.
No, for the third time in seven minutes, Roma conceded a goal from a set piece, succumbing to one of their own. Antonio Rüdiger, who spent two years in the Italian capital, delivered the killing blow in the 90th minute:
Credit to Rüdiger for not celebrating dramatically in front of his former fans, but once again, this goal could have been prevented if Molina put forth an actual effort rather than listlessly flinging his leg toward the general vicinity of the ball.
Final Thoughts
Roma Happened. That’s the long and short of it. There is no way to take the stink off this; Roma blew a huge opportunity to make hay in the Champions League standings. There are still six matches remaining, so the Knockout Phase isn’t out of the question, but Roma had three points in the bag tonight and let it slip away.
And make no mistake, that will come back to haunt them.
Up Next
Roma welcomes another former manager to their house when Daniele De Rossi and Genoa come visiting on Saturday.
