Real Madrid are set to take on AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Italy.

Having returned from the international break with a 1-0 win over Villarreal, Los Blancos will be eager to build on it and record their second win in Europe, after beating Inter Milan last month.

And, as reported by Diario AS , the Real Madrid squad trained at Valdebebas before travelling for their Champions League fixture, just as they did during Jose Mourinho’s first spell in charge between 2010 and 2013.

The approach breaks with the usual Champions League routine of training at the opposition’s stadium on the eve of a match.

Real Madrid had largely remained an exception to this trend. Mourinho was the first to change the club’s established procedure, but after his departure in 2013, the routine had returned.

Sticking to his tradition. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Now, the club are going back to the approach he introduced. Following the training session, the squad will fly to Rome in the afternoon.

Xabi Alonso revived the practice last season in order to avoid giving direct access to his team’s preparations to the opposition. After Alonso’s dismissal, Alvaro Arbeloa continued the practice.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Mourinho hält an seiner Champions-League-Tradition vor dem Spiel zwischen Real Madrid und AS Rom fest" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Champions League metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

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