After a month-long break, the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League returned yesterday with nine games. The same number of games is set to be played today as well, with AS Roma vs. Real Madrid headlining the slate.

Hosts Roma are third in Serie A with 4 wins and 2 draws in six games, while Real Madrid are fourth in La Liga with 6 wins and 2 losses. Neither team enters the Stadio Olimpico in perfect form. Roma have drawn both their previous games, while Madrid have a defeat and a win.

In the Champions League, both teams have played just one game so far. Madrid secured a win in their outing against Inter Milan, while Roma were held to a draw by Fenerbahçe. A win today can push either team to the top half of the UCL standings, and fans can expect a cracker of a contest.

If you're excited, here are all the details you need to watch the AS Roma vs. Real Madrid UCL game live using a streaming subscription or VPN.

When Is the AS Roma vs. Real Madrid UCL Match?

The UEFA Champions League match between AS Roma and Real Madrid will kick off at 3 p.m ET today at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

How to Watch the Roma vs. Real Madrid Match in the US

In the US, all 2026-27 UEFA Champions League games will stream live on Paramount+, with select high-profile games also airing on CBS and CBS Sports Network. If you’d like to follow the games in Spanish, you can launch TUDN, UniMas, Univision, and ViX—all of which will be streaming select games each match week.

How to Watch Roma vs. Real Madrid Online for Free

Select Champions League games will air for free on streaming platforms such as Tabii in Turkey, and on Virgin Media Play and RTE Player in Ireland.

For today’s Roma vs. Real Madrid game, you can check out Virgin Media Play. The platform is geo-restricted to users in Ireland, but you may be able to access it using a virtual private network (VPN). Our preferred service is Express VPN. With server locations around the world, ExpressVPN is a good choice for obfuscating your actual location and accessing region-locked content.

Follow these steps to stream the Roma vs. Real Madrid UCL game for free with a VPN:

• Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN).

• Download the VPN app on your preferred device.

• Connect to a server in Ireland.

• Visit Virgin Media Play, create an account, and start streaming.

Note: If asked for a postal code during sign-up, enter one matching your VPN server’s location to avoid disruptions.

The best VPN services that let you pick a preferred server location aren’t usually free. Many of these services, however, offer free trials for first-time users. If you can take advantage of that, you’ll be able to stream the Champions League game between Roma and Real Madrid for free.

Don't want to use a VPN? In the US, you may be able to watch today's match for free by signing up for a free streaming trial from DirecTV, FuboTV, or YouTube TV.

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Roma vs. Real Madrid: Predicted Lineups

With the soccer calendar getting busier, teams have been rotating squads across league and cup tournaments to manage player fitness. For European giants like Roma and Madrid, it's about getting their best players fit and ready for UCL nights.

AS Roma's Gian Gasperini, for instance, could start with Paulo Dybala, Donyell Malen, and Matías Soulé up front, alongside Manu Koné and Marten de Roon in the midfield. He is expected to fit them all into his 3-4-3 formation, and here's what the overall starting XI could look like:

• AS Roma (possible XI, 3-4-3): Gollini; Ndicka, Hermoso, Mancini; França, Rensch, Koné, de Roon; Dybala, Malen, and Soulé.

For Real Madrid, you can expect Jose Mourinho, who was Roma's coach from 2021-2024, to start with all his young superstars, including Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Federico Valverde. Mourinho has also switched between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations lately, and here's the XI that could face Roma tonight.

• Real Madrid (possible XI, 4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries*, Konaté, Huijsen*, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouaméni; Güler, Bellingham, Vini Jr; Mbappé.

*It's possible that Alexander-Arnold and/or Rüdiger could start in place of Dumfries and Huijsen, respectively.

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