Roma v Real Madrid: home side tipped to score first in Champions League clash

AS Roma host Real Madrid CF in the second round of the UEFA Champions League 2026-27 league phase on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.

NCI Sport consultant and Nostalgie radio presenter Nasser Eddy expects a competitive contest and has identified a draw as the most likely outcome.

Roma have made an encouraging start to the season and are third in Serie A, while remaining unbeaten in all official competitions. Their defensive record is the best in Italy’s top flight, level with Cagliari, with Evan Ndicka central to their impressive form.

They began their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Fenerbahce. Although Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have not won either of their past two matches, a 2-2 draw at home against leaders Inter Milan and a point at Como represent useful results.

Roma have scored 15 goals in seven competitive matches this season, averaging more than two per game. Donyell Malen has scored six of those goals, although he has failed to score in his past two appearances and was sent off at Como on Sunday. He is expected to play against Real Madrid.

The Italian side have won more corners than their opponents in four of their past five matches and have opened the scoring in five of their past seven.

Real Madrid’s recent performances have been less convincing. Their 1-0 win against Villarreal at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday came through Yan Diomande’s first goal for the club, produced by a high-quality individual move.

The Spanish side are fourth in the league and already behind rivals FC Barcelona. Jose Mourinho’s second spell has yet to produce a fully balanced team, despite the club’s sizeable recruitment drive. Real Madrid have scored 21 goals in nine official matches, but only three victories have come by more than one goal.

Their 2-1 home win against Inter Milan in the opening Champions League round offers encouragement. However, Ibrahima Konate and his team-mates will need greater defensive focus in Rome, while Kylian Mbappe will be looking to end a two-match goal drought.

This will be the 13th Champions League meeting between the clubs. Real Madrid won both matches in the 2018-19 group stage, 3-0 and 2-0 at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, and have won the past four encounters. Roma have three victories from the previous 12 meetings; none has ended 0-0.

The match also features a contest between Ivory Coast team-mates Ndicka and Diomande. Ndicka leads Roma’s defence, while Diomande, Real Madrid’s most expensive player, is pushing for a regular starting place. Both are expected to face each other again for Herve Renard’s Ivory Coast in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in less than a month.

The listed 1xBet odds are: draw 4.11; both teams to score at least two goals, 3.2; a 2-2 final score, 10; Roma to score the first goal, 2.34; Roma to win the corner count, 2.85; Malen to score at any time, 2.2; and Diomande to score, 3.1.

The odds may change.