Koné the hero: marketplace exit and a brace against the champions

Roma led Manchester United at Old Trafford in the first half, only to be pegged back in a late comeback that ended their hopes of a result, leaving Gian Piero Gasperini reliving a night he knew well. Gasperini had been through the same experience in 2021 with Atalanta, when his side also led United by two goals early on, dominating and impressing before the collapse. Roma were in control in the same way, but the momentum shifted and United's second-half fightback cost them dearly. The parallels with 2021 are striking. Atalanta were two goals up after just 28 minutes, scored by Pasalic and Demiral, and the first goal for United came at the 53rd minute, just as Fernandes struck for United on Monday night. In 2021 it was Rashford who scored at that point. Then, as in the Old Trafford match, the late blow came from Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo in the final moments, leaving Gasperini with a bitter finish. Yesterday's ending was the same: a cruel comeback that extinguished Roma's dreams of glory. Five years on, the nightmare has returned, and United remain a formidable opponent, especially at Old Trafford. The article notes that Ronaldo decided matches for United in 2021, while this time it was Cunha who made the difference. As the author puts it, the names have changed but the ending has not. Gasperini now has to work on the minds of his players so that Roma can turn things around in Europe. The stakes are clear: a lesson must be learned quickly if the European campaign is to be salvaged after a painful night in Manchester.

Referee Jesús Gil Manzano has been heavily criticised by Italy's main sports dailies for his handling of Roma's 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, with the penalty awarded to the English side and the non-sending-off of Harry Maguire the most contested decisions. La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport both gave the Spanish referee a 4 out of 10, while Il Romanista went as low as 3. The decisive moment came in the 55th minute, when Cunha went down in the box after very light contact from Mancini. Gil Manzano pointed to the spot as Roma protested. La Gazzetta called the penalty very generous, while Corriere dello Sport described it as a "rigorino" (a soft penalty). Il Romanista was even harsher, arguing that the United forward exaggerated his fall considerably. Vasquez initially saved Bruno Fernandes's effort, but the penalty was ordered retaken because Cristante had entered the area early and intervened on the rebound. That decision was correct under the rules. Fernandes scored at the second attempt, reopening the match and sparking the English comeback. The criticism of the officiating does not end there. In the closing stages Harry Maguire was booked for a slap on Castro, but shortly afterwards he committed another foul on the Argentine forward which, according to the three newspapers' slow-motion reviews, should have earned a second yellow card. Gil Manzano let play continue, sparing the English defender a dismissal. La Gazzetta also flagged a possible penalty for United for a late challenge by Wesley in the second half. There was no doubt, however, about the first-half penalty awarded to Roma for a handball by Heaven on Soulé's shot. The referee's performance weighed heavily on the match, although it does not erase Roma's responsibility for their collapse in the second half. The penalty gave confidence to a United side in serious difficulty, while Gasperini's team were unable to regain control of the game.

Manchester United have taunted Roma on social media after coming from two goals down to win at Old Trafford. The Red Devils posted a graphic listing all their victories over Roma, from the 7-1 win through to Tuesday's result, captioned "Absolute cinema". Roma dominated the first half and led by two goals, with the lead possibly being even bigger. Then the game collapsed: the Giallorossi were overrun by English pressing and a questionable refereeing display, and United took the points. The defeat leaves Roma with the sense of having an almost perfect side, though there is still work to do. The post comes at a time when United are in the Premier League relegation zone, which makes the jibe look somewhat out of place. The mockery adds to a painful night for Roma, who had controlled large parts of the match before losing their grip on it.