UEFA Champions League 2026/27: AS Roma vs Real Madrid Prediction

AS Roma welcome Real Madrid to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday in a fascinating UEFA Champions League encounter that sees Jose Mourinho return to the Italian capital to face his former club. Let’s look at the prediction and best bets for this encounter.

ALSO READ: UEFA Champions League 2026/27: Manchester City vs PSG Prediction.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma are unbeaten in all competitions this season, while Mourinho’s Real Madrid are looking to build momentum after an inconsistent start to their domestic campaign.

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AS Roma head into Wednesday’s encounter in impressive form, having avoided defeat in their opening seven competitive matches of the 2026/27 campaign.

Gasperini’s side have established themselves as a difficult team to break down, combining defensive organisation with the attacking quality of Paulo Dybala, Matias Soule and Donyell Malen.

However, Roma have struggled to turn promising performances into victories in recent weeks, with consecutive Serie A draws against Inter Milan and Como highlighting their difficulties in the final third.

Their most recent outing ended in a goalless draw away to Como on Saturday, a result that demonstrated their defensive resilience but also raised further questions about their attacking consistency.

Roma were forced to play much of the second half with 10 men following Malen’s dismissal, yet managed to preserve their unbeaten record through a disciplined defensive performance.

That result followed an entertaining 2-2 home draw against Inter Milan, where Roma once again demonstrated their ability to compete against high-quality opposition.

The Giallorossi have been particularly impressive defensively, conceding just four goals across their previous six matches and keeping three clean sheets during that period.

Their Champions League campaign began with a 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce in Istanbul, with Bryan Cristante opening the scoring before Archie Brown equalised shortly after half-time.

Although Roma would have preferred all three points, securing a draw in a difficult away fixture represented a respectable start to their return to Europe’s premier club competition.

Gasperini will now be hoping his side can make home advantage count against a Real Madrid team that has shown signs of vulnerability away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Roma face several important selection concerns ahead of Wednesday’s encounter.

Cristante has been ruled out with a knee injury, while first-choice goalkeeper Mile Svilar remains unavailable due to a toe problem.

Pierluigi Gollini is therefore expected to retain his place between the posts, while experienced midfielder Marten de Roon could deputise for Cristante in the middle of the park.

Those absences could prove significant against a Madrid attack featuring some of the most dangerous players in European football.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, arrive in Rome looking to establish greater consistency under Mourinho, who returned to the Spanish capital ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Los Blancos have endured a mixed start to their La Liga campaign, with defeats against Atletico Madrid and Real Betis leaving them six points behind unbeaten leaders Barcelona.

Both defeats came away from home, raising concerns about Madrid’s ability to reproduce their best performances outside the Bernabeu.

Nevertheless, the Spanish giants have demonstrated their attacking quality in recent weeks and enter Wednesday’s encounter following a victory over Villarreal.

Yan Diomande scored the winning goal against the Yellow Submarine on Saturday, strengthening his case for a starting position as Mourinho considers his attacking options.

Madrid also began their Champions League campaign with an important 2-1 home victory over Inter Milan.

Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde were on target as Los Blancos secured all three points, although the Spanish side were forced to withstand considerable pressure from their Italian opponents.

That performance highlighted both Madrid’s individual brilliance and their defensive vulnerabilities, with Mourinho’s side relying on clinical finishing to overcome a competitive Inter outfit.

Mbappe remains the visitors’ biggest attacking threat, with his explosive pace, intelligent movement and exceptional finishing ability capable of troubling even the most disciplined defences.

The French superstar is supported by an impressive collection of attacking talent, including Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler.

Wednesday’s encounter also carries considerable emotional significance for Mourinho, who previously managed Roma between 2021 and 2024.

The Portuguese tactician famously guided the Giallorossi to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022, ending the club’s long wait for European silverware.

His return to the Olimpico promises to create an extraordinary atmosphere, although Mourinho will be determined to secure another important Champions League victory against his former employers.

Recent head-to-head history strongly favours the Spanish giants.

Real Madrid have won the previous four Champions League meetings between the clubs, keeping clean sheets in each of those victories.

Their most recent competitive encounters came during the 2018/19 group stage, when Madrid recorded a 3-0 home victory before winning 2-0 in Rome.

However, Roma’s unbeaten start to the season and Madrid’s inconsistent away performances suggest Wednesday’s meeting could be considerably more competitive than those previous encounters.

With both sides possessing dangerous attacking players but facing important defensive questions, the contest could ultimately be decided by which team makes the most of its opportunities.

Recent Form & Stats

•  Roma’s unbeaten run: The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their opening seven competitive matches this season, recording four victories and three draws.
  
•  Real Madrid’s recent form: Los Blancos have won four of their previous six matches across all competitions, suffering two defeats.
  
•  Roma’s Champions League opener: A 1-1 away draw against Fenerbahce, with Bryan Cristante scoring their only goal.
  
•  Madrid’s Champions League opener: A 2-1 home victory over Inter Milan, with Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde finding the net.
  
•  Roma’s defensive record: The Italian side have conceded just four goals across their previous six matches, keeping three clean sheets.
  
•  Real Madrid’s away struggles: Mourinho’s side have lost two of their previous three away matches, suffering defeats against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.
  
•  Recent results: Roma drew 0-0 with Como on Sunday, while Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 1-0 on Saturday.
  
•  Goalscoring form: Roma have scored 11 goals in their previous six matches, while Real Madrid have also scored 11 during the same period.
  
• Head-to-head: Real Madrid have won eight of the previous 12 competitive meetings between the clubs, with Roma recording three victories and one draw.

Best Bets & Prediction

Prediction: Draw at 3.95.

Best Bet: AS Roma to win or draw at 1.78.

Alternative Bet: Under 3.5 total goals at 1.75.