Manchester United were 2-0 down to Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and were booed off at half-time. By the end they had won 3-2, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice in the last ten minutes.
It was United’s first win in ten games and their first since September. Cunha was then sent off late on, so United saw out the final minutes with ten men.
Roma fly out of the blocks
Roma started fast. Matías Soulé put them ahead early on, and Donyell Malen scored a penalty a few minutes later to make it 2-0.
United struggled to create much before the break. Bryan Mbeumo did hit both posts with one effort, but the home crowd was not happy at half-time.
Three goals in the second half
The comeback started in the 58th minute. Cunha won a penalty and Bruno Fernandes scored it at the second try, after the referee ordered a retake.
Carlos Baleba had to go off early in the second half with a hamstring problem, and for a long time Roma held on. Then, in the 83rd minute, Leonardo Balerdi missed the ball as he tried to clear it, and Cunha was there to equalise.
Three minutes later Cunha scored again. Shea Lacey set him up, and the Brazilian beat the goalkeeper from a tight angle at the near post.
In stoppage time Cunha picked up his second yellow card. It did not matter in the end, because Roma could not find another goal.
What it means
United now have six points from four Champions League games. They beat Sabah 4-0 in their first game, then lost at Atlético Madrid and at Como. The win lifts them to 17th in the league phase table.
Roma stay on four points. Before this game, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had scored 21 goals in six matches.
The night started badly off the pitch as well. Before kick-off, some fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch in a protest against the club’s owners.
Our take
This was the night Michael Carrick needed. His team looked lost for 45 minutes, and the booing at half-time said it all. But they kept going, and Cunha gave the crowd something to cheer for the first time in weeks.
One win does not fix a bad autumn. The red card was also silly and could have cost them. Still, a comeback like this can change the mood around a club very quickly.
Is this the win that turns United’s season around? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Matheus Cunha by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0, two photos); Old Trafford by Arne Müseler (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE); Bruno Fernandes by Ardfern (CC BY-SA 4.0).
