When In Rome: 14 Oct. 2026

Writing for Managing Madrid, Juninho previews Real Madrid's upcoming UEFA Champions League fixture against Gian Piero Gasperini's AS Roma side. The author highlights Roma's impressive Serie A form, sitting third in the table and undefeated domestically behind key contributors such as Donyell Malen, Paulo Dybala, and Bryan Cristante. While acknowledging Real Madrid as favorites, the column anticipates a difficult 90-minute encounter against the Italian club.

The author also reflects on recent press conference remarks, sharing opinions on comments made by Aurelien Tchouameni and Jose Mourinho regarding midfield balance and Vinicius Junior's starting role. Additionally, Juninho argues that young forward Endrick faces limited playing opportunities at Real Madrid and suggests it would have been preferable for the Brazilian attacker to have secured a transfer with a buyback clause instead.