There are bad European nights and then there is losing 4-1 to a club playing its first ever Champions League season. Manchester United experienced the second kind on Wednesday in northern Italy, and only a stoppage-time goal saved them from equalling the worst defeat in their history in the competition.
Como, coached by Cesc Fàbregas, needed two minutes. Diogo Dalot had just wasted a clear chance at the other end when Nico Paz cut onto his left foot and bent the ball into the far corner past Senne Lammens. United were fortunate to be only one down at the break. Michael Carrick changed shape at half-time, bringing on Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo, and within four minutes Paz had slipped in Tasos Douvikas, who outran Matthijs de Ligt to make it 2-0.
Paz then pounced on a Baleba error to add a third before the hour, and defender Jacobo Ramón rose unmarked to head in a fourth on 76 minutes. Joshua Zirkzee’s late strike merely tidied the scoreline. So the record low stays where it was, a four-goal hiding at the Camp Nou more than three decades ago.
Carrick, missing nine players and starting De Ligt for the first time in 325 days, offered apologies to the travelling fans but walked past his own squad. He admitted to being “really angry”. The mood worsened when captain Bruno Fernandes suggested the staff had chosen not to press, a claim the manager flatly disputed. United have now gone seven games without a win and host Bournemouth on Sunday with their coach’s future openly questioned.
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich and Arsenal drew 2-2 after a late Declan Rice equaliser, Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 and Aston Villa stayed perfect by beating Viking 3-1.
