Roma led 2-0 at Old Trafford in the Champions League League Phase fourth matchday, with Paulo Dybala's teammates Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen on target against Manchester United. Soulé opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and Malen doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 17th minute after Heaven handled Soulé's shot.
Gian Piero Gasperini's side arrived in Manchester with four points from their first three European matches, following a convincing win over Slovan Bratislava. Manchester United, coached by Michael Carrick, were on three points and going through a difficult spell. The match was the fourth matchday of the League Phase.
The early stages were lively. Soulé and Bruno Fernandes were both booked in the 20th minute after a flare-up on the pitch. Roma were forced into a change in the 22nd minute, with Rensch unable to continue and Lulli coming on. Baleba tested the Roma defence from distance in the 26th minute, but his effort from the edge of the box flew high. Roma had started brightly, keeping the ball well in the opening minutes.
Gasperini named Balerdi in place of N'Dicka, while Rensch won the battle for the right-back berth ahead of Molina. Mora kept his place alongside Soulé and Malen in attack. Vásquez started in goal after Gollini was ruled out, and the team lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Vásquez; Mancini, Balerdi, Hermoso; Rensch, De Roon, Cristante, Wesley; Soulé, Mora; Malen. Manchester United lined up in a 4-2-3-1: Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Dalot; Mainoo, Baleba; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Diallo; Cunha.
The match was refereed by Jesús Gil Manzano of Spain, with assistants Guadalupe Porras Ayuso and Diego Barbero. The fourth official was Juan Martínez Munuera, while Carlos del Cerro Grande was the VAR and Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez the assistant VAR. Roma remain in the match with a two-goal advantage at the time of reporting, with the second half still to come.
Story Coverage10 sources on this story
Roma travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday 3 November for the fourth matchday of the Champions League league phase against Manchester United, with kickoff at 21:00. Several outlets put Donyell Malen at the centre of the attack. Speaking before the match, he said Roma are ready and must be careful, since United have not been getting the best results but remain a good side. The outlets differ on his record. Forza Roma credits him with 26 goals in 32 matches, while TeleRadioStereo cites 22 Serie A goals in 2026 alone, making him the top scorer across Europe's five major leagues. Corriere della Sera, as reported by Roma News and TeleRadioStereo, says he left Aston Villa feeling misunderstood after being deployed on the wing rather than as a centre-forward.
The fixture carries heavy history. Roma lost 7-1 to United in the Champions League quarter-final of April 2007, which Totti called "the worst night of my life", and 6-2 in the Europa League semi-final of April 2021, meaning 13 goals conceded across two visits. Gazzetta dello Sport notes that Michael Carrick scored two of the 2007 goals and is now United's coach, close to being sacked. Former Roma midfielder Aleandro Rosi told Retesport he expects Roma to take maximum points. Roma News reports that the team will wear its grey third kit, with the goalkeeper in yellow and warm-up bibs in aqua green.
GialloRossi.net's match report, however, describes a different moment: Roma leading 2-0 with goals from Matías Soulé in the 11th minute and a Malen penalty in the 17th after Heaven handled. Gasperini's side lined up in a 3-4-2-1 with Vásquez in goal because Gollini was ruled out. Most other pieces were written before kickoff, so the coverage does not describe a single point in the match.
AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Notte di Champions League all’Old Trafford, dove questa sera la Roma di Gian Piero Gasperini affronta il Manchester United di Michael Carrick nella quarta giornata della League Phase. Una sfida affascinante in uno degli stadi simbolo del calcio europeo, con i giallorossi a caccia di punti pesanti…”
Read the full article in Italian at GialloRossi.net.