Manchester United endured a night to forget in Lombardy, suffering their heaviest continental defeat since 1994 as competition debutants Como cruised to a 4-1 victory. A boat ride from George Clooney’s villa, Manchester United will hope, in what has been a terrible start to the season, that things do not get any worse, in sight of the Alps. And Michael Carrick’s job security, because witnessed here by Lake Como was a humiliation of the three-times European champions by Cesc Fàbregas’s competition debutants, as United suffered their worst defeat in continental football since 1994, they can’t – for the team’s prospects. When Como attacked and defended it was as a unit supremely drilled by Fàbregas.
Played out at the sold-out 13,602-capacity Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Cesc Fàbregas’s side completely overwhelmed the three-time European champions, despite holding a mere 62 total Champions League appearances compared to United’s 242. Como’s supremacy in the most famous victory of their 119 years came despite 62 total Champions League appearances v United’s 242.
Disaster struck just two minutes into the fixture when Michael Carrick’s side switched off, allowing Nico Paz to curl an opening goal past Senne Lammens. This marked the second consecutive major European match in which United conceded inside the opening 120 seconds, following last week’s 2-0 defeat against Atlético Madrid. As Como were 3-0 ahead, and Nico Paz had destroyed Carrick’s men with a scintillating display featuring two goals and the assist for Tasos Douvikas’s strike, by 57 minutes this was over. Carrick, on this and the evidence of only two wins all term, is a coach struggling at elite level. As United became the first English team to concede inside two minutes in consecutive major European matches, this was a whole 60 seconds longer than Atlético Madrid were kept out in last week’s 2-0 defeat. Penetrating at will, and when the ball was moved into the area and Martin Baturina went to grass, a penalty was claimed, como had United’s number.
The early setback followed a missed opportunity by Diogo Dalot, perfectly crystallising United’s lack of quality at both ends of the pitch. Como dominated possession throughout, pinning the visitors back with relentless pressure while United offered only a disjointed defensive press. The opener came moments after Diogo Dalot spurned a simple opening to dizzy the hosts: Matheus Cunha flipped the ball to his right-back, Dalot’s touch was awful, yet after possession was retained, he ballooned wide. This was United’s current form crystallised at each end of the pitch: a basic lack of quality. Como hogged the ball throughout so any United foray needed to threaten Jean Butez’s goal: Mbeumo’s corner from the right patently did not when failing to clear a first defender. When attacking or closing down, continued relentlessly, after a near 24-hour deluge the rain did finally stop but Como’s blue wave. The referee, turned this down, sven Jablonski. Maybe involving one or two, but was never a group act, unlike Fabregas’s players who hunted the ball in packs, united’s press was piecemeal.
Hampered by an extensive injury list that sidelined nine players, Carrick handed Mathijs de Ligt his first start in 325 days following a serious back injury, pairing him in central defence with Harry Maguire. Suspension or illness, there was some mitigation, in missing nine players due to injury.
The bench also highlighted United’s limited resources, featuring youngsters Tynan Thompson and Jack Fletcher just hours after they played in an Under-19 Youth Cup defeat to Como.
Any hopes of a comeback were swiftly extinguished four minutes after the interval when Paz threaded a simple pass through to Tasos Douvikas, who powered past Lammens to double Como’s advantage.
Paz added his second and Como’s third by racing down the right flank and beating Lammens once more. The rout was completed in the 76th minute when Jacobo Ramón rose to head home a cross from Kaiki Bruno. As the No 10 careered along Como’s right, another example was on show, when Paz left Noussair Mazraoui gasping. Cunha, running back, could not stop Paz and if his cross had found a colleague, and not Mason Mount, Lammens might have been beaten again. Mount lined up alongside Andrey Santos in a midfield that had Cunha, Youri Tielemans and Bryan Mbeumo ahead, with Bruno Fernandes again a false-ish 9. Carrick’s move was to take off Cunha and Santos for Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo in a reshuffle that took Tielemans into central midfield, Fernandes to No 10, and Mbeumo leading the line.
Traveling supporters began heading for the exits in droves before Josh Zirkzee grabbed a mere stoppage-time consolation goal for United. With Carrick visibly deflated by the full-time whistle, United must now prepare to host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday amidst mounting questions over the manager’s future.
