Gil Manzano to referee Manchester United v Roma in Champions League

Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will officiate Manchester United against Roma in the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase, on Tuesday 3 November at Old Trafford. The Spaniard will be returning to refereeing the Giallorossi, having already officiated them in European competition, including this season. Gil Manzano's first meeting with Roma came on 7 November 2019, when the Giallorossi lost 2-1 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Europa League group stage. His second encounter came on 22 February 2024. At the Olimpico, the side then coached by Daniele De Rossi drew 1-1 with Feyenoord after extra time, then progressed to the Europa League round of 16 with a 4-2 win on penalties. This season the Spaniard also refereed Fenerbahce against Roma, played on 10 September. Manchester United also have a previous meeting with Gil Manzano, dating back to 15 September 2016, in the Europa League group stage of 2016/17. The Red Devils faced Feyenoord away in Group A and lost 1-0. For Roma, the appointment means a familiar official will take charge of a high-stakes European fixture on English soil, with the Giallorossi looking to build on their Champions League campaign.

Radio pundits have shared their views on Roma's current form and their upcoming trip against Manchester United. Fabrizio Aspri, speaking on Radio Radio, said Gasperini was surprised by Mora, whose wish had been to change Roma and make them attractive out wide. Aspri said Mora is becoming very important, but added that Gasperini wants a left-footed winger for January and also lacks a midfielder. "Roma are performing miracles because they are strong, but they need something else," Aspri said. He rated Mora's performances as very positive, but said Gasperini does not want this for January. "You cannot play without Cristante in midfield," he added. Aspri said he would take a draw against Manchester United, provided the team knew it was doing well. He voiced doubts about Ghilardi, saying he would wait a little longer as the defender still has to mature more than the others. He also described Gasperini as a manager who rations energy. Andrea Pugliese, also on Radio Radio, was more positive about the club's prospects. He said Ghilardi is becoming very important and is growing with every match. Pugliese noted that Gasperini always selects Cristante and then the other ten outfield players. He said Cristante has earned the trust of the coach over the years and is a fundamental player for the team's balance. Pugliese described Manchester United as a side in disarray. "It will be a difficult match, but it is not a prohibitive trip, because the emotional states are completely different and everyone is leaning towards Roma," he said. The views were gathered as part of Romanews.eu's daily column reviewing comments from Rome radio speakers and pundits on Roma.

Roma travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday to face a Manchester United side whose head coach, Michael Carrick, is at serious risk of losing his job, and who scored in the infamous 7-1 defeat of 2007. Carrick opened the scoring after eleven minutes of that night, when Manchester United beat Roma 7-1 in the Champions League quarter-final, a result that came after Roma had won 2-1 at the Olimpico in the first leg, under Luciano Spalletti. Smith, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo also scored, and Carrick later added the sixth with a superb strike from distance. Roma have also not forgotten the heavy 6-2 defeat in the 2021 Europa League semi-final. Today the balance of power appears to have shifted. Gasperini's Roma arrive in England on the back of a 5-2 win at Udine, unbeaten in Serie A, and with an attack that has scored 28 goals in the first ten matchdays. Manchester United, by contrast, have not won in nine consecutive matches, with six defeats and three draws, a run of form the club have not endured since 1988. Their latest defeat came at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea won 2-0 on Saturday. United sit on seven points after nine Premier League matchdays, dangerously close to the relegation zone. In the Champions League they have lost their last two games, against Atlético Madrid and Como. Carrick's position has become one of the hottest topics in English football. After the defeat to Chelsea, asked whether he would still be in charge on Tuesday against Roma, he answered in the affirmative. However, his future remains under scrutiny, with United's board called upon to decide how to deal with a crisis that shows no sign of ending. The man who helped inflict one of the heaviest defeats in Roma's history could therefore be fighting for a significant part of his future against the Giallorossi. The article warns against treating the match as a formality. A wounded United can be more dangerous than the table suggests, individual quality is not lacking, Old Trafford remains one of Europe's most difficult grounds, and the need to end a run of poor results may act as extra motivation. Gasperini knows this well: Roma must bring the same intensity and personality shown in recent weeks and not be fooled by the English crisis. A win on Tuesday would not erase the 7-1 or the 6-2 of 2021, but it could give a new meaning to the Romans' return to the Theatre of Dreams. In 2007 Carrick was a midfielder in a seemingly invincible side; in 2026 he is the coach of a team desperately trying to recover, while Roma arrive confident of competing on equal terms. Manchester United may, for once, be the side more afraid of the Giallorossi.