Manchester United Beat Roma 3-2 From Two Goals Down as Cunha Scores Twice Before Being Sent Off

Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford on Tuesday, November 3, in Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase. Matheus Cunha scored twice in three minutes late on, and was then sent off in stoppage time. The win ended United's nine-game winless run and was their first victory in 10 matches in all competitions. It gave head coach Michael Carrick a big lifeline.

Roma started like a team on a mission. In the 11th minute, United lost the ball in a dangerous area. Donyell Malen found Rodrigo Mora, who switched the play to Matias Soule. He was alone in the box and beat Senne Lammens with a left-footed shot. Six minutes later, Soule's shot struck the arm of United defender Ayden Heaven inside the area. Malen sent Lammens the wrong way from the penalty spot to make it 2-0. Roma were the first away team to score twice in the opening 17 minutes of a match at Old Trafford in Europe, according to Opta.

United were booed off at half-time. Things looked worse early in the second half, when midfielder Carlos Baleba went off injured with a hamstring problem. Then the game turned. Cunha won a penalty. Bruno Fernandes took it, but Roma goalkeeper Devis Vasquez saved the first attempt. VAR ordered a retake because Roma's Cristante had entered the area. Fernandes scored the second time, in the 58th minute, to make it 2-1.

Bryan Mbeumo then hit both posts in one move after Cunha sent him clear. Harry Maguire also went close with a header. The equaliser finally came in the 83rd minute, when Cunha scored. Three minutes later, in the 86th minute, he struck again. Shea Lacey provided the assist for the second goal, and Cunha drove into the box and scored from a powerful finish.

The celebration cost him. Cunha took off his shirt after the winner and was booked. In the first minute of stoppage time, he was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Roma's Balerdi. United finished the game with 10 men but held on.

The numbers show the change after the break. United had 10 shots in the second half, five of them on target. They had an expected goals total of 2.48, compared with just 0.24 in the first half. Roma had no shot on goal in the second half.

Roma's coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw his team collapse after a bright start. For United, the result is a small step towards the knockout rounds. Carrick will now have to deal with Cunha's red card and Baleba's injury.