“They were dead” and “deep regret”... the most prominent statements of Mourinho and Gasperini after Real Madrid’s “Remontada” over Roma

- Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho praised the fighting spirit of Real Madrid players, after they scored three late goals to achieve an exciting victory over Roma - his former club - which seemed to have completely surrendered, in the Champions League competitions, thanks to the winning goal scored by Antonio Rudiger in stoppage time. It seemed that Real Madrid was on its way to suffering its third defeat this season, after it trailed 3-1 an hour before the start of the match, but Real Madrid regained its energy late in the second half, scoring three consecutive goals to achieve a historic victory with a score of 4-3.

Carlos Espe gave hope to the Spanish team by scoring a goal in the 83rd minute, before Endrek equalized moments later. At this point, Rome was over; There was only one winner.

This was actually confirmed when Rudiger met a ball from a corner kick taken from the right side in stoppage time, turning it into the net from close range, igniting massive celebrations inside and outside the field. Mourinho told Prime Video: “When the score reached 3-1, everyone thought the match was completely decided.

But in reality, the ones who were actually 'dead' were the Roma players; It is very difficult to maintain that level of intensity.” He continued: “I made substitutions and the score was 3-1, as conceding a fourth or fifth goal would not have changed much.

From that moment on, they no longer had the tactical or physical ability to respond.” The Portuguese coach received a hero’s welcome upon his return to the Italian capital, after leading Roma to win the European Conference League title in 2022.

It was their first title in 14 years, and the home fans unveiled a huge Tifo poster in his honor before kick-off. The result will not contribute much to changing the fans' perception of Mourinho, nor will his acknowledgment of the extent of the suffering that Real Madrid faced before the break.

Mourinho said: “A first half in which Roma excelled in all aspects, in all aspects without exception.” He continued: “Then came 20 minutes during which it was impossible to stop Real Madrid; two completely different stages.”

He added: "They surprised us at first by having [Mathias] Sule on the wing, a solution that caused us problems." He said: “In the second half, when we were more organized to deal with that situation, we conceded a ridiculous second goal. It is a goal that you cannot concede at this level.” “A big regret” for Gasperini This result means that Real Madrid has six points in its first two matches in the league stage, after its 2-1 victory over Inter Milan last month.

As for Roma, it tied in its opening match against Fenerbahce, 1-1. The team has now gone three consecutive matches in various competitions without achieving a win, and coach Gian Piero Gasperini admitted that he is extremely frustrated with his team's defensive performance.

Speaking to the Prime Video platform, he said: “They got corner kicks in the first half as well, but in the last minutes it seemed like we were paralyzed by fear when taking those kicks. They scored their goals too easily.” Gasperini continued: "There is a great feeling of regret; a match that went this way should not have ended in this way."

He said: “It is difficult to accept, but Roma certainly gave a very good performance, which is what we spoiled in the end.” He continued: "We were very negative - regardless of Real Madrid's prowess at set-pieces - and this is unfortunate."

He added: "If there is a team that seemed to have exhausted its energy, it is Real Madrid... We outperformed them in everything, as they only scored from corner kicks, but other than that, we were certainly up to the responsibility."