Real Madrid came from behind to beat AS Roma 4-3 in a UEFA Champions League thriller and Jose Mourinho gave a typically charismatic post-match response.
There was an added element of histrionics in Madrid's comeback win in Rome. By the 57th minute, Mourinho's side were 3-1 behind thanks to Donyell Malen's second half brace adding to Marten de Roon's 20th minute goal. A trio of goals between Carlos Espí, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger - the former two having come off the bench - gave Mourinho's side a massive away win on his homecoming to the Stadio Olimpico.
'The Special One' spent two and a half years managing Roma, having won the UEFA Conference League back in 2022 and guided the Italians to the Europa League final the next year. There's never a shortage of buzz worthy moments from Mourinho, and it was no different on Wednesday night after the full time whistle.
'They Thought The Match Was Dead' - Mourinho Reacts to Comeback Win
After the match, Mourinho was asked about the comeback his side had just put forth to get their second Champions League win of the season in dramatic fashion. The Remontada kings proved just exactly why that word has become so synonymous with the club.
"After they scored 3-1, they thought the match was dead, but it was Roma's players who were dead," Mourinho cheekily said in the mixed zone after the match (via TNT Sports).
A Tale of Two Halves
All things considered, it really was a match of two halves and Madrid were significantly better in the second than they were in the first and ultimately winning the match in the final twenty minutes. It's never a good idea to write Madrid off at any stage of the match before the final whistle blows, but Mourinho admitted that Roma made incredibly hard work for his side.
"I think you can say that there were two games in one. A game in which Roma were superior in all aspects, and after 20 minutes Real Madrid were impossible to stop. They surprised us at the beginning of the game with Soulé on the wing, it was difficult to control him," Mourinho said, as per Sky Sport journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
Mourinho was particularly critical of the second goal his side conceded as a needless giveaway from an attempted flick by Vinícius Júnior led to a Roma counter and Malen's goal. About three to four touches after conceding possession, the ball was in the back of Thibaut Courtois' goal.
“The second goal we conceded was ridiculous; you can't let that happen in a competition of this level. We made some substitutions, but even if we had conceded a fourth or fifth goal, it wouldn't have made a difference—by then, they no longer had the ability, either tactically or physically, to keep up with the attacking style of play we were bringing,” Mourinho explained.
It's clear that he felt Roma had spent all their energy too soon and that Madrid were bound to score as the match got closer to its conclusion, but he'll certainly be hoping his side can concede fewer than three goals moving forward.
