Manchester United 3-2 Roma: Matheus Cunha scores twice and gets sent off in a five-goal thriller

Seventeen minutes in, Old Trafford had gone quiet. Matìas Soulè put Roma ahead with a goal created by Rodrigo Mora, and Donyell Malen doubled it from the penalty spot soon after — a 2-0 lead for the visitors that looked entirely deserved. Manchester United needed something to change the night, and it came from Matheus Cunha, who was at the centre of everything that followed: a penalty won and converted by Bruno Fernandes just after the hour, then two goals of his own in the final ten minutes, before a stoppage-time second yellow card ended his evening early all over again — on the losing side of the scoreline no longer, but off the pitch regardless.

Bruno Fernandes' 58th-minute penalty gave United the foothold they needed, and Cunha took it from there: level in the 83rd minute, then ahead in the 86th, both goals his. The turnaround was built on a response that had been entirely missing from this United side for weeks — a two-goal deficit against a side with genuine European pedigree, overturned inside half an hour of game time, by a team that had not managed back-to-back wins in any competition since August.

United finally stop the bleeding

This was Manchester United's first win in any competition since a 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah back on matchday 1, in September. Before kick-off, their last five matches had produced one draw and four defeats — 0-2 at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, 1-1 at Leeds, 1-4 at Como in the Champions League, 0-3 at home to Bournemouth, and 0-2 away at Chelsea — a run in which they scored only twice and conceded 12. Ruben Amorim's side arrived at this match 17th in the Premier League on seven points from nine games and had lost their opening two Champions League fixtures of the league phase, at Atlético Madrid and at Como, leaving them needing points just to stay in touch with the group that reaches the knockout play-offs. Coming from two goals down to beat a side as well-organised as Roma, even with a man sent off at the end, is as significant a result as this United team have produced all season.

Cunha's night: a penalty won, two goals, and a red card

Cunha's contribution went well beyond the two goals that will make the highlight reels. He was fouled for the penalty Bruno Fernandes converted, scored the equaliser and the winner either side of the 85th minute, and was then shown a second yellow card in the first minute of stoppage time — meaning United will finish this round of fixtures with their most influential attacker suspended for the next one. It was that kind of match: decisive in all the ways a player can be, for better and for worse, inside the same 90 minutes.

Roma's away-day Champions League struggles continue

For Roma, this is now a second defeat in four league-phase matches, and the pattern has been the same each time: competitive, even ahead, but unable to close matches out away from the Stadio Olimpico. A 3-4 loss at home to Real Madrid on matchday 2 had already shown the gap between Roma's domestic form — third in Serie A on 24 points — and their results in Europe. They sit 20th in the 36-club table on four points, still inside the group of 16 clubs that would reach the knockout play-offs if the league phase ended today, but with work still to do to turn performances like this one into results.

Match facts

• 11' — Matìas Soulè, assisted by Rodrigo Mora (Roma)
• 17' — Donyell Malen, penalty (Roma)
• 58' — Bruno Fernandes, penalty (Manchester United)
• 83' — Matheus Cunha (Manchester United)
• 86' — Matheus Cunha, assisted by Shea Lacey (Manchester United)
• 90+1' — Matheus Cunha sent off, second yellow card (Manchester United)
• Old Trafford, Manchester — Champions League league phase, matchday 4, Tuesday 3 November 2026

What's next

Manchester United move to six points and 17th in the Champions League table, a first win of the league phase that keeps alive their hopes of a top-24 finish and a route into the knockout play-offs. Roma stay 20th on four points, and need to find a response in Europe closer to the form that has them third in Serie A if they are to avoid being cut adrift of that same group.