All roads lead to Rome: how did Real Madrid pull off their historic comeback in the Champions League?

Gian Piero Gasperini could not have asked for a better start. Roma's Italian head coach set his side on Real Madrid's midfield from the first whistle, hunting the ball and refusing to let them settle, and it worked superbly.

Jose Mourinho did Gasperini a favour. Real Madrid's Portuguese coach paired Aurelien Tchouameni with Federico Valverde in midfield, and the plan came apart from there.

Neither man, nor England's Jude Bellingham, could carry the ball out from under the Italian press. Real collapsed completely and conceded the opener.

Kylian Mbappe did level it, but the French star's equaliser came from pure individual skill. There was nothing collective about it.

What Real needed was a player of Bernardo Silva or Arda Guler's quality, someone to keep hold of the ball and wriggle out of the pincer movement Roma had built in midfield.

Mourinho worked it out late, only after the Italians had put their third past him. Better late than never.

On came Arda Guler in the 58th minute, then Bernardo Silva in the 69th, the Portuguese coach assembling a new midfield built to dominate and hog the ball.

Everything flipped from there. Even without a talent like Vinicius Junior, hauled off in the process, the team controlled possession far better and went after the hosts.

Real Madrid did threaten the Roma goal for real. They had one strike ruled out, then struck three times in the last seven minutes to snatch the points.

Gasperini got the first half right, all the way to the opening goal. The finish was a different story. He ended up as one of the reasons his side lost.

Tchouameni's withdrawal handed Real Madrid more of the ball, but it also stripped them of midfield depth, leaving Valverde as the only man in there capable of defending.

The Italian never looked to exploit that gap and kill off Real Madrid's dreams. He dropped too deep instead and invited the play on, and his defence couldn't hold out to the final whistle.

Roma sank further and further back, gave the ball away and watched Madrid take their chances. Every road led to their own net.