Real Madrid 4 - Roma 2

Madrid: Casillas; Salgado, Iván Helguera, Samuel, Roberto Carlos; Beckham, Celades (Guti 64'); Figo, Raúl (Pavón 82'), Zidane; Ronaldo (Raúl Bravo 85'). 4-2-3-1.
Roma: Pelizzoli; Panucci, Dellas, Cufre, Candela (Sartor 61'); Perrotta, Mancini, De Rossi (Mido 76'), Dacourt; Totti, Cassano. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 03. De Rossi. Ran on to Dellas lofted pass to touch ball past Casillas.
0-2. 21. Cassano. Low shot from right of goal after Perrotta played on Totti pass.
1-2. 39. Raúl. Shot from edge of area which ballooned off defender over keeper.
2-2. 53. Figo (penalty). After Raúl pushed from behind by Panucci in area.
3-2. 72. Raúl. Got ahead of marker to turn low Figo cross wide of keeper.
4-2. 79. Roberto Carlos. Took short Figo pass and fired shot into far top corner.

Real Madrid captain Raúl led from the front as the "Galacticos" fought back from two goals down to beat Roma in their second group match. The team were under immense pressure after losing their third game of the season at Bilbao at the weekend, and seemed to be on for another hiding when De Rossi ran through to put the Italians ahead and then Cassano added a second with only twenty minutes on the clock. And only a top class save by Casillas prevented Totti from getting a third from a free kick soon afterwards.

Six minutes before the interval though Madrid got a lucky break, Raúl picking up a short ball from Figo and poking in a shot which looped off a defender's foot over the head of Pelizolli and in to the net. That turned the tide, and Beckham could have levelled the scores before half time had the keeper not stopped is shot.

Raúl was in action again though soon after the restart when ex Madrid defender Panucci was spotted by the referee pushing him in the back as a corner came over, Figo converting the resulting penalty. And Raúl it was who gave them the lead twenty minutes later, getting on the end of Figo's low cross to turn the ball into the net. Roberto Carlos made it four later on with a house special shot from outside of the area into the top corner to give the home fans some joy at last, and take the pressure off caretaker manager García Remón.