Cunha Double Completes Man United's 3-2 Comeback Over Roma, Easing Pressure on Carrick

Manchester United rallied from 2-0 down to beat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford on Nov. 3, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice late before being sent off, ending a nine-game winless run for Michael Carrick's side.

Nov 04, 2026 - 13:18

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Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice in the final minutes before being sent off. The result was United's first win in 10 games, Sky Sports reported, and only their third win of the season and first since September, according to BBC Sport.

The match carried added weight for head coach Michael Carrick. The Standard reported that a nine-match winless run had left his job hanging by a thread, and that United were facing a fourth straight loss at half-time.

Roma's two-goal first half

Roma went ahead inside 11 minutes. According to The Standard, Rodrigo Mora's diagonal pass was just too high for Ayden Heaven, who was in for Lisandro Martinez, and Matias Soule finished. The Guardian reported that Diogo Dalot, playing out of position at left-back with Luke Shaw still injured, had pushed high up the pitch before the goal.

The second goal came from the penalty spot. The Guardian reported that a miskick by Harry Maguire returned the ball to Soule, whose shot hit Heaven's hand. Referee Jesus Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and Donyell Malen converted, The Standard said. United were booed off at the break.

The night was also marked by protests against the club's owners. Green and gold balloons came down from the Stretford End before kick-off, and when the clock showed 20 minutes and five seconds, fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch, a reference to the Glazer family's 2005 takeover, according to The Standard and The Guardian. In a separate report, The Guardian noted that the Glazers have owned United since 2005 and loaded £1.2bn of debt on to the club.

A retaken penalty and two late goals

United lost midfielder Carlos Baleba to a hamstring injury early in the second half, Sky Sports reported. Their route back began when Cunha was judged to have been fouled in the box. The Guardian described it as a soft penalty award for a push by Gianluca Mancini. Fernandes' first attempt was saved by Roma's third-choice goalkeeper, Devis Vasquez, but Bryan Cristante had encroached before clearing the loose ball, and the United captain scored the retake in the 58th minute, according to The Standard.

BBC Sport reported that the video assistant referee, Carlos del Cerro Grande, advised that a retake was required. Soon afterward, Bryan Mbeumo's shot struck both posts without crossing the line, Sky Sports and The Guardian reported.

The equalizer came in the 83rd minute, when Leonardo Balerdi misread the bounce on a Fernandes cross and Cunha finished from close range. In the 86th minute, substitute Shea Lacey passed inside to Cunha, whose shot went in off the inside of the near post, The Standard reported. Cunha was booked for celebrating shirtless in the crowd and then shown a second yellow card for a late challenge, but United held on.

BBC Sport noted that no team has won more Champions League games from two or more goals behind than Manchester United, with this their fourth time doing so, a total matched by Real Madrid. It added that Cunha is the first player to score and be sent off in the same Champions League game for Manchester United.

What Carrick, Fernandes and Dalot said

Carrick said after the match, as quoted by BBC Sport: "This place does magical things. It's done it before and it'll do it over and over again at some point in the future." He also told Amazon Prime, "I don't have a crystal ball to know what happens next," and pointed to Sunday's home Premier League match against Aston Villa. In his press conference, quoted by Sky Sports, he said: "I am not getting too carried away with things, but it is an important night."

Asked about the pressure on his manager, Fernandes told Amazon Prime, according to BBC Sport: "We don't need to save anyone's job. The club needed that win, the players needed that win." In comments to Amazon Prime carried by Sky Sports, the captain said his manager benched him against Bournemouth "because I wasn't performing at that level."

Dalot told The Guardian the win could shift United's season. "Nights like this can change momentum, they can change seasons," he said. The Guardian reported that United have seven points from their opening nine Premier League games, their worst start since 1987-88.

Cunha's suspension

Cunha returned to the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate with teammates despite his red card, BBC Sport reported, though rules from the International Football Association Board state that a player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play. A UEFA spokesperson said: "The Uefa official reports did not mention anything about this incident. Therefore the automatic one-match ban following two yellow cards should not be extended for this reason."

Cunha will serve the one-game ban in United's next Champions League match, against Sporting on Nov. 25, according to BBC Sport. Before that, Carrick's side hosts Aston Villa, which lost 3-0 at Barcelona on the same night.