Mourinho takes blame for Madrid struggles before late rally stuns Roma

ROME -- José Mourinho took the blame for Real Madrid's struggles at AS Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday, before praising his players for leading a seven-minute comeback to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win. Substitutes Carlos Espí and Endrick both scored before a 90th-minute header from Antonio Rüdiger -- with Arda Güler providing his second assist of the night -- gave Madrid maximum points in the league phase so far. - Kirkland: A seven-minute stretch saved a weak Real Madrid team from a humbling Champions League crash - Madrid's Vini Jr. gets 4-game ban after hair-pull red card; will miss Clásico In his post-match news conference, Mourinho said he'd been outsmarted by counterpart Gian Piero Gasperini, before making the necessary tactical changes after the break. "The first half was the coach's fault; the second half was the players' fault," Mourinho said. "Football is a 90-minute, strategic game. Opponents matter, and today's opponent was incredibly strong. They are a formidable team. "But it's impossible to play at that intensity, the way they played, for a full 90 minutes. I made the substitutions I thought were necessary. But in the first half, they really punished us." Mourinho introduced Endrick -- for Vinícius Júnior -- and Güler on 59 minutes, before adding Espí and Bernardo Silva as Madrid searched desperately for a way back into the game. Vinícius told reporters afterward that he hadn't understood the switch, saying it was "natural to be angry" while admitting that the change had paid off. "It was tough for Vini," Mourinho said. "Vini lost a ball he shouldn't have lost [for Roma's second goal]. But that's how it goes. I make mistakes, too. It's a shame that this happened, just as he was growing and finding happiness again. "It's natural for him not to be happy ... Frustration is normal. But after the match, he was very happy about the win." Mourinho was treated like a returning hero at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday at the home of one of his former clubs. Before kickoff, there was a long applause when the stadium announcer read out the teams and Mourinho's name. Then early in the first half, the end of the stadium where Roma's hard-core "ultra" fans sit held up three huge signs featuring images of Mourinho -- one of which depicted him cradling the Conference League trophy that Roma won in 2022 to conclude his first season in charge. The Conference League title was Roma's first significant European trophy. Mourinho also led Roma to the Europa League final in 2023. He left the club in January 2024 without really saying goodbye. "Whoever brings glory to Rome, Rome will honor forever," read a fans' banner. "The people bestow you with eternal glory." Mourinho said he was left "speechless" by the reception. The Associated Press contributed to this report.