What initially looked set to become another night of misery for Manchester United instead ended in a remarkable comeback, as Michael Carrick's side overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Roma 3-2.Â
A spirited opening from United was quickly extinguished by an in-form Roma side, who took the lead in the 10th minute through Matias Soule. The hosts looked completely disjointed at the back, and a mistake-strewn opening 20 minutes was compounded when Donyell Malen converted a penalty to double the visitors' advantage.
The mood inside the stadium turned sour, as the Old Trafford faithful burst into songs of ‘Sell United and f**k off home,’ and ‘Jason Wilcox, you’re a wa***r.’
United desperately needed a response after the break, and Bruno Fernandes offered them a lifeline from the penalty spot.Â
Having initially missed his opportunity, the Portuguese captain was handed a second attempt after encroachment from a Roma player and made no mistake on the second attempt.Â
Matheus Cunha then turned the game on its head, scoring twice in a matter of minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround and secure United's first victory since 10 September.Â
His dismissal for a second yellow card added a nervy conclusion to proceedings, but United held on to claim all three points.
GK - Senne Lammens - 6
Lammens has yet to recapture the form he showed last season, but there was little he could have done about either of Roma's first-half goals. He produced a few encouraging moments, including an important save from Malen towards the end of the opening period.
RB - Leny Yoro - 6.5
The best of United's back four, although that was not necessarily a particularly difficult distinction to earn. Produced a fantastic last-ditch tackle with Roma already 2-0 ahead and showed glimpses of his potential going forward.Â
The young Frenchman is still adapting to the right-back position, but United hardly have the luxury of time to allow him to settle.
CB - Harry Maguire - 6
As a former captain of Manchester United, Harry Maguire should be leading through experience, yet it seemed at times tonight he looked relatively new to the game of football.Â
Looked dangerous in the opposition's box, with him coming close on three occasions in quick succession, but still looked lax in defence throughout large periods of the match.
Was brought off in the 88th minute for Matthijs de Ligt.
CB - Ayden Heaven - 5
A poor performance from the youngster, whose positioning and decision-making left plenty to be desired. His handball led to the penalty that allowed Roma to double their advantage.
Was taken off in the 74th minute after a fairly poor performance
LB - Diogo Dalot - 4.5
Wildly out of position for Matias Soule’s opener which led to United being on the back foot for the entirety of the rest of the game. Constantly not tracking his opposing players, and constantly in the wrong position. Has looked weak throughout the start of this season, and looks out of place at left-back.
Slightly improved as United gained a grip on the match, but always seemed like a liability.
CM - Carlos Baleba - 6
Partnered alongside Kobbie Mainoo, Baleba had a largely quiet game, seemingly invisible in midfield as other players around him took more of the limelight. Was decent at carrying the ball forward at times, but is still settling into life as a Red Devil.
A promising, darting run at the beginning of the second half suggested he could help spark a comeback, but he pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and was forced off.
CM - Kobbie Mainoo - 7.5
Composed and assured in possession, Mainoo looked as though he had never been away despite spending much of the previous three weeks on the sidelines. His ability to retain the ball and dictate the tempo offered United some much-needed control in midfield.
Strong throughout both halves of play, and was a catalyst in pushing United towards victory.
RW - Amad Diallo - 6
Similar to his performance against Chelsea, Amad Diallo was a semi-what bright spark on the pitch for United, but a lack of end product means it has been nearly a year since his last goal for the club.
The Ivorian has looked like a weak spot in the team ever since Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, and with Shea Lacey gunning for more minutes, we could see a new right-winger in the fold in the coming weeks.
He was substituted in the 74th minute for Shea Lacey.
AM - Bruno Fernandes - 7
Fernandes started brightly, whipping in a dangerous cross during the opening 10 minutes, but struggled to inspire his teammates as United fell further behind. He also squandered one of the side's better opportunities before half-time.Â
His initial penalty miss threatened to compound an already miserable evening, but he kept his composure when given a second opportunity and converted to give United a route back into the contest.
As always, he was a constant presence. He is yet to show his Premier League Player of the Year form from last year, but hopefully this was a turning point in his season.
Was brought off in the 88th minute for Mason Mount.
LW - Mathues Cunha - 7.5
Seemingly happy to be a passenger for much of the first half tonight, delegating responsibility to the players around him. Was invisible for much of the first 45 and made little to no impact.
However, the Brazilian more than made amends after the break, scoring United's equaliser before finding the net again just minutes later to complete the turnaround. His evening ended on a sour note when he received a second yellow card for a dangerous challenge, but his contribution to the comeback was undeniable.
Had his excitement got the better of him, his rating would have undoubtedly been at least an 8.
ST - Bryan Mbeumo - 6
A relituvely quiet evening for Bryan Mbeumo, when in possession of the ball he did not look entirely comfortable, and he squandered a chance to draw United level when his shot in the 58th minute bounced off both posts and away from the Roma goal.
As United found their way back into the match, he held possession well at times and won some important fouls as United looked to see out the result.
Substitutes:
Youri Tielmans - 6
Coming on early into the second half for an injured Baleba, the Belgian started slowly, not a surprise given he had little to no time to warm up. Gradually grew into the game.
Lisandro Martinez - 6
Was surprisingly brought on after his poor performances as of late, with a slight muttering of boos echoing around the stadium as the Argentine was brought onto the pitch.
Looked defensively assured, offering some hope that he can put the mistakes of the weekend behind him.
Shea Lacey - 7
Electric from the moment he stepped onto the pitch. Lacey brought a directness and energy to United's attack, showing a willingness to take on defenders and drive his side forward. The youngster is making a convincing case for more regular first-team opportunities.
His through ball for Cunha’s third goal cut through the Roma defence, and he can be credited with one of the reasons why United claimed victory tonight.
Matthijs de Ligt - N/A
Brought on to steady the last few minutes, de Ligt did a fine job in keeping Roma’s attack at bay. Had little else to do.
Mason Mount - N/A
Booted the ball the length of the pitch, which ended up being the last touch of the game by any United player.
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