Cristante says Roma must work out where they need to improve after Manchester United defeat

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has complained that European football still awards soft penalties, speaking at his press conference after the Manchester United defeat. He said: "In Europa danno ancora i rigorini. È una cosa che dà fastidio" ("In Europe they still give these little penalties. It's something that bothers me"). Gasperini said that playing on these pitches means accepting some pressure, adding: "Su questi campi ci sta subire un po', non si possono giocare 90 minuti come il primo tempo ma potevamo fare di più." ("On these pitches it's understandable to suffer a bit, you can't play 90 minutes like the first half, but we could have done more.") He added: "Questi rigorini però si sperava non ci fossero più" ("We had hoped these little penalties were no longer around"). The comments follow Roma's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Roma's penalty concessions were the subject of debate afterwards, with the match-day video review examining a penalty awarded against Roma for a challenge on Cunha. Bryan Cristante said the penalty was very doubtful and that Roma too often conceded late comebacks, adding that the club must understand where they go wrong. Fernandes said Roma had been fortunate on the penalty and hoped the win would give the team confidence, referring to the result as a victory.

Roma led Manchester United at Old Trafford through goals from Soulé and Malen, but collapsed in the second half and lost the match. Soulé gave Roma the lead around the tenth minute with a left-footed strike, and Malen doubled it from the spot before the break. United then won a penalty in the second half. Vásquez saved the initial spot-kick, but the referee ordered a retake because Cristante had his knee on the line when he cleared the rebound. Bruno Fernandes stepped up again and scored, and Roma's concentration went with it. Balerdi's slip allowed the equaliser, and another error led to United's third goal. Roma had dominated the first half, with Soulé and Malen putting them 2-0 up. The second half turned on the disputed penalty. Roma appeared to tire after that, and a thin bench did not help. Gasperini's side had been pushed back, and the closing stages followed a familiar pattern for the club in recent weeks. The ratings were: Vásquez 6, Mancini 5.5, Balerdi 4.5, Hermoso 6, Cristante 6, De Roon 5.5, Wesley 5.5, Mora 6.5, Soulé 6.5, Malen 6 and Gasperini 5.5. Ghilardi, who came on for Mancini in the 74th minute, was rated 5.5, and N'Dicka, on for Hermoso in the 75th, was rated 5.5. Lulli, on for Rensch after 22 minutes, was rated 5.5. Rensch was not rated after playing barely twenty minutes. Pisilli, on from the 45th minute, was rated 5, while Castro, who came on for Malen in the 77th minute, was rated 5.5. Vásquez saved the first penalty but could do nothing about the retake. Mancini was booked for the penalty concession and was reportedly unhappy with the decision. Mora's pass for Soulé and his contribution to the penalty earned him the highest rating of the night, despite a couple of light touches. Balerdi was the most heavily criticised. His rating reflected a double-edged performance: some anticipations raised the pressure, but he steered well for long periods before the late errors. Cristante was praised for his control in the first half and was described as losing some sharpness after the break. The match report ends with the group stage in mind, though the source does not state a next fixture. Roma's bench and fatigue remain the central talking points.

Roma threw away a first-half lead and lost 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen had given the Giallorossi the advantage early in the match, but the team fell apart after the restart and allowed the hosts to turn the game around. The defeat came in a disastrous second half for the visitors, who had been ahead from the opening minutes.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has complained that European football still awards soft penalties, speaking at his press conference after the Manchester United defeat. He said: "In Europa danno ancora i rigorini. È una cosa che dà fastidio" ("In Europe they still give these little penalties. It's something that bothers me"). Gasperini said that playing on these pitches means accepting some pressure, adding: "Su questi campi ci sta subire un po', non si possono giocare 90 minuti come il primo tempo ma potevamo fare di più." ("On these pitches it's understandable to suffer a bit, you can't play 90 minutes like the first half, but we could have done more.") He added: "Questi rigorini però si sperava non ci fossero più" ("We had hoped these little penalties were no longer around"). The comments follow Roma's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Roma's penalty concessions were the subject of debate afterwards, with the match-day video review examining a penalty awarded against Roma for a challenge on Cunha. Bryan Cristante said the penalty was very doubtful and that Roma too often conceded late comebacks, adding that the club must understand where they go wrong. Fernandes said Roma had been fortunate on the penalty and hoped the win would give the team confidence, referring to the result as a victory.

Roma led Manchester United at Old Trafford through goals from Soulé and Malen, but collapsed in the second half and lost the match. Soulé gave Roma the lead around the tenth minute with a left-footed strike, and Malen doubled it from the spot before the break. United then won a penalty in the second half. Vásquez saved the initial spot-kick, but the referee ordered a retake because Cristante had his knee on the line when he cleared the rebound. Bruno Fernandes stepped up again and scored, and Roma's concentration went with it. Balerdi's slip allowed the equaliser, and another error led to United's third goal. Roma had dominated the first half, with Soulé and Malen putting them 2-0 up. The second half turned on the disputed penalty. Roma appeared to tire after that, and a thin bench did not help. Gasperini's side had been pushed back, and the closing stages followed a familiar pattern for the club in recent weeks. The ratings were: Vásquez 6, Mancini 5.5, Balerdi 4.5, Hermoso 6, Cristante 6, De Roon 5.5, Wesley 5.5, Mora 6.5, Soulé 6.5, Malen 6 and Gasperini 5.5. Ghilardi, who came on for Mancini in the 74th minute, was rated 5.5, and N'Dicka, on for Hermoso in the 75th, was rated 5.5. Lulli, on for Rensch after 22 minutes, was rated 5.5. Rensch was not rated after playing barely twenty minutes. Pisilli, on from the 45th minute, was rated 5, while Castro, who came on for Malen in the 77th minute, was rated 5.5. Vásquez saved the first penalty but could do nothing about the retake. Mancini was booked for the penalty concession and was reportedly unhappy with the decision. Mora's pass for Soulé and his contribution to the penalty earned him the highest rating of the night, despite a couple of light touches. Balerdi was the most heavily criticised. His rating reflected a double-edged performance: some anticipations raised the pressure, but he steered well for long periods before the late errors. Cristante was praised for his control in the first half and was described as losing some sharpness after the break. The match report ends with the group stage in mind, though the source does not state a next fixture. Roma's bench and fatigue remain the central talking points.

Bryan Cristante has said Roma must work out where they are going wrong after conceding another second-half comeback, this time in a 2-1 defeat...