The prospect of a new golden age - Roma vs Real Madrid

Having joined Atalanta - a mid-table side in Italy - and almost consistently kept them in contention for the top spots, Gasperini's main objective when he took charge of Roma last season was to usher in a new golden age. In Italy, where the capital's teams lag far behind northern cities such as Milan and Turin in terms of success and titles, the Giallorossi have been without a league title for 25 years. Although they do not possess a squad as strong as the one featuring Totti, Batistuta, Montella and Cafu, Gasperini's Roma - currently among the top three or four contenders for the title this season - are also aiming for success in the Champions League. Although Roma enjoyed excellent spells under Spalletti between 2006-08 and 2016-18, they failed to secure a league title, though they did win the Coppa Italia, finish as league runners-up, and reach the Champions League semi-finals and quarter-finals. The Wolves, whose squad bears a resemblance to those of that era and whose future looks very bright given their average age, face a formidable opponent on Wednesday evening. Although Real Madrid have been far from the top in La Liga and the Champions League over the past two seasons, they remain the first club that springs to mind when football is mentioned worldwide; we are all curious to see how Gasperini and his players will fare against them. The match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which will have the eyes of the whole of Europe upon it on Wednesday evening, could be a fantastic midweek event for any football fan.

Injuries are plaguing Mourinho

Things aren't going particularly well for Mourinho, who is keen to prove he is still a top manager on his return to Real Madrid after 13 seasons. Trailing Hansi Flick's Barcelona by six points in the league, what really worries the Portuguese manager is the considerable number of injured players. Having managed to beat Inter 2-1 at home in their first Champions League match of the season despite missing several players, let's see how the white-and-purples fare against another Italian side in the title race. For Mourinho, who is struggling to accept that the rift between two players within the squad has been leaked to the press - and who is understandably rather annoyed - a victory in this difficult away fixture could serve as a much-needed calming influence.

Roma vs Real Madrid tickets

Roma and Real Madrid have faced each other 12 times in the Champions League, frequently coming up against one another particularly in the early 2000s. The two sides were drawn in the same group during the 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2004-05 seasons, meeting on six occasions, with Real Madrid emerging victorious in four of those matches. Roma managed to win just one match. In the 2007-08 season, the two sides met in the round of 16, with the Italian side winning both matches 2-1 to progress to the next round. In the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons, the Italian and Spanish sides were once again drawn in the same group; Real Madrid won all four of their encounters and will be aiming for their ninth victory in their 13th official match against each other. If you'd like to spend your Wednesday evening watching football, Roma vs Real Madrid tickets are currently on sale at Seatpin.