Matheus Cunha scored twice in the final seven minutes before being sent off in stoppage time as Manchester United rallied from two goals down to beat AS Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. The comeback snapped a nine-game winless run across all competitions and gave manager Michael Carrick breathing room ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
The Man Utd vs Roma clash looked set to push Carrick toward the exit after the Italian visitors struck twice inside the opening 18 minutes. Instead, a retaken second-half penalty from captain Bruno Fernandes and Cunha’s late double delivered United’s first victory since Sept. 10, a span of 54 days, and lifted the club two points clear of 19th-placed Roma in the Champions League league phase table.
How the Man Utd vs Roma Comeback Unfolded
Fan anger toward the club’s ownership spilled onto the pitch before kickoff and during the first half, with supporters in the Stretford End releasing green and gold balloons and throwing tennis balls onto the turf to protest the Glazer family, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox. On the pitch, Roma took advantage of the tense atmosphere in the 11th minute when 19-year-old Rodrigo Mora set up Matias Soule for the opening goal.
Roma doubled their lead seven minutes later. After United defender Ayden Heaven blocked a Soule shot with his outstretched arm inside the box, Donyell Malen converted the resulting 18th-minute penalty past goalkeeper Senne Lammens for a 2-0 lead.
United’s night worsened 37 seconds into the second half when summer signing Carlos Baleba pulled up clutching his hamstring as he surged into the Roma penalty area. ESPN reported that the Cameroon midfielder appeared to be in tears as medical staff attended to him before Youri Tielemans replaced him, adding to an injury list that already includes Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw, though Patrick Dorgu returned to training this week.
Cunha sparked the turnaround by winning a penalty that Fernandes stepped up to take in the 57th minute. Roma goalkeeper Devis Vasquez saved the initial spot kick, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ordered a retake for encroachment by Roma players, and Fernandes fired the second attempt past Vasquez in the 58th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1.
United drew level in the 83rd minute when Roma defender Leonardo Balerdi missed an attempt to clear a Fernandes cross and Cunha finished for 2-2. Three minutes later, 19-year-old winger Shea Lacey, who had come off the bench in the 75th minute, slid a pass through for Cunha to score the 86th-minute winner from a tight angle.
Cunha was booked during the celebration of his second goal, with ESPN attributing the yellow card to jumping into the supporters and NBC Sports reporting it was for removing his shirt. The Brazilian forward then picked up a second yellow card in the 92nd minute for a foul on Balerdi, leaving 10-man United to hold on through the remaining stoppage time and handing Cunha an automatic suspension for the club’s next Champions League match.
What Carrick and Fernandes Said About the Manager’s Job
Speaking after the match, NBC Sports quoted Carrick addressing questions about his future on the Old Trafford bench. “I don’t have a crystal ball to know what happens next. We move on to the weekend, we’ve got a really important game here against Aston Villa, which we need to prepare for right,” the 45-year-old manager said.
Fernandes, who was dropped to the bench for the first time in his Manchester United career in October after criticizing Carrick’s tactics during a 4-1 loss to Como, dismissed the idea that the squad rallied solely to protect the coach. “We don’t need to save anyone’s job. The club needed that win, the players needed that win. We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together,” Fernandes said.
As background to Tuesday’s win, United had lost four of their previous five matches, including a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth and Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea that left the team one point above the Premier League relegation zone. Former England defender Martin Keown said on TNT Sports that Carrick had been on the brink at the interval: “His (Carrick’s) head was in the lion’s mouth at half-time. We wondered whether he would have to resign or step away.”
Speaking on Amazon Prime, former England striker Alan Shearer praised the turnaround, saying, “Great credit to Michael Carrick, he was down and out at half time.” Asked whether the result was enough on its own to keep Carrick in his post long term, Shearer added: “No. They have got to go on and do what they did in the second half….”
ESPN reported that Tuesday’s comeback ensures Carrick will remain in charge for Sunday’s Premier League home game against Aston Villa on Nov. 8 before the November international break, which is followed by an away league trip to Liverpool.