Roma collapse in second half to lose 3-2 at Manchester United; Balerdi error and Gasperini's changes under fire

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.

Bryan Cristante has admitted Roma must work out where they are going wrong after losing to Manchester United, a match in which the team let a lead slip in the second half. Speaking to SkySport at the final whistle, the midfielder said the defeat had come despite a strong start from Roma. Roma started well and produced a very strong first half that could have ended with more than a 2-0 lead. Cristante said the team had to do more after they had already experienced the same problem, adding that Manchester United are strong opponents who become hard to contain once they push forward and find their moment. The Roma midfielder also addressed the penalty awarded to United. He said he had not seen the incident again, but that from the pitch it looked very doubtful. Cristante added that the team must review the footage properly and understand where they are going wrong, as the problem is becoming too frequent. Asked whether Roma lack the ability to manage games, Cristante said: "It could be. We must certainly be more focused at the back, the whole team. We were 2-0 up, and sometimes you can drop back and keep the game under control, letting the others play, but without conceding goals. We must review it and understand where we went wrong." On the defeat in relation to the team's growth, he said: "We played a very good first half, against a strong side even though they are not at their best, and in a stadium like this. We must also take the good things, but we know this is one point and we have to improve. We will do it, we must understand where we are going wrong so as not to make these mistakes again." Asked whether United's pressure in the second half had surprised Roma, Cristante said: "Maybe we dropped back a little too, thinking we could hold the result. It is certainly a combination of factors. We struggled to keep the ball in the second half. We could not breathe with the ball in their half, and that allowed them to push up a lot. We must review it."

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 suffered another damaging Champions League defeat, losing 3-2 at Old Trafford to Manchester United after leading by two goals. Gian Piero Gasperini's side dominated the first half, with Matías Soulé opening the scoring and Donyell Malen converting a penalty. The lead looked set to give Roma a magical evening, but they collapsed mentally in the second half and allowed the Red Devils back into the game. United's comeback began with a missed penalty that was ordered to be retaken, and Bruno Fernandes converted the second attempt. Roma's problems deepened when Leonardo Balerdi made a clamorous error that gave Cunha the equaliser for 2-2. Three minutes later Cunha scored again to make it 3-2, sending the Old Trafford crowd into ecstasy. The result, following a similar collapse against Real Madrid, makes Roma's path through the Champions League considerably harder. The match ratings gave Cunha 7.5 for turning the game around, Soulé 7 for his goal, which was not enough to save the result, and Balerdi 5 for his decisive error.

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 had the better of the first half at Old Trafford and went into the interval with a two-goal lead, but they threw away the advantage in a chaotic second period against Manchester United. The Italian report says the Giallorossi dominated possession from the first minute, with Cristante and his team-mates controlling the game, and that in the first half the frustration of not scoring four was greater than the satisfaction of the two-goal lead. Mora played almost as a deep-lying inside midfielder, while Malen enjoyed a creative role, sacrificing a little of his finishing in front of goal. The match did not stay in Roma's favour. Bruno Fernandes and his team-mates spent far too long in the Roma half. Vásquez had made a more than worthy save when United took their first penalty, but the spot-kick was later retaken and the outcome was embarrassing for the visitors. The reporter argues that Roma's first-half advantage should have carried them to a win, following the usual rotations Gasperini made along the defensive line. Instead, the unthinkable happened, mainly through the mistakes of Balerdi and then Vásquez, with referee Manzano also to blame, as Maguire was allowed to stay on the pitch. The article's closing verdict is blunt: the stadium is cursed, the referee did not convince, but this Roma side has committed suicide, because there is no other explanation. Cristante, Mora, Malen, Balerdi and Vásquez are the names the report repeatedly singles out, and the piece makes clear that the defensive rotations under Gasperini were central to the collapse.

Roma lost 3-2 at Old Trafford in the Champions League, with a costly error from Leonardo Balerdi deciding the match. Matías Soulé was Roma's standout, rated 7 out of 10, after he scored from the near post and then won a penalty by finding the arm of Heaven. Donyell Malen converted the spot-kick with a perfect strike. Those goals gave Roma a lead, but Manchester United fought back to level and then go ahead. Vásquez, who was starting in a Champions League match at Old Trafford, was rated 6. Only a month earlier he had been training on the B pitch at Trigoria with little hope of returning to action, and the Colombian goalkeeper's rise was described as a reminder that football is full of surprises. He had a tricky first half, handling balls with his feet that were not always straightforward. In the second half he came off his line to deal with a danger after Baleba was injured, then saved a penalty well. The referee ordered it retaken, which the writer described as a disgrace. Vásquez could do nothing about the equaliser, then was beaten by the post. Mancini, rated 6, was tested at both ends. He made a crucial sliding tackle after 13 minutes to stop a dangerous cross from Fernandes, but he started the second half poorly. Hermoso, rated 6.5, was among Roma's best defenders, blocking shots and launching counterattacks. Cristante, also rated 6.5, was one of the best players in the first half, controlling passing lanes, tackles and recoveries, but he could not find the same authority after the break. Wesley, rated 6, improved defensively, winning two decisive balls from United players in the first half, but he also faded in the second. Balerdi was rated 5.5. He struggled under pressure with the ball at his feet, but recovered situations with remarkable speed and bravery in the challenge. After a near-perfect performance he played the decisive pass that led to the 2-2, which was rated as a bitter blow. De Roon, rated 5.5, provided calm and composure but tired badly in the second half. Malen, rated 6, faded after his penalty. Ghilardi, who came on at 75 minutes and was rated 5.5, cleared and blocked whatever he could. N'Dicka, also introduced at 75 minutes and rated 5.5, restored calm at the back, but Balerdi's error ruined his good work. Castro, who replaced Malen at 78 minutes and was rated 6, tried to lift the team and succeeded at times.

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.

Leonardo Balerdi's two errors in the final minutes turned a comfortable Roma lead at Old Trafford into a painful defeat, with United coming back to win after Roma had been 2-0 up. Roma had dominated the first half under Gian Piero Gasperini, going 2-0 up through Soulé and a Malen penalty, with Balerdi outstanding at the heart of the defence, making ferocious interceptions, playing the ball out with authority and dominating his area. The match then followed the pattern of the recent defeat to Real Madrid: Roma stopped running, suffered constantly and let United back into the game. The decisive moment came in the 83rd minute. Balerdi was well placed to win the ball, an ordinary play for a player who had been the best on the pitch until then, but he slipped and missed it, allowing Cunha to score the 2-2 equaliser. Three minutes later he was again at fault, with the ball for United's 3-2 goal coming through his mistake, the second consecutive error that completed the collapse. Cunha was sent off for a second yellow card shortly afterwards, but the damage was done and Roma lost three points. Balerdi had been in a race for a starting place with N'Dicka until the last moment, but Gasperini preferred him for his dynamism and pace. He was not at full fitness, having not played in the last 180 minutes because of a knee problem. Gasperini deployed him as the central figure of a three-man defence alongside Mancini and Hermoso, specifically to mark Matheus Cunha, who was playing as a number nine for Carrick. Balerdi had earlier been impressive in a double against Napoli, which had convinced Roma to prepare a buy-back option worth over €11 million with Marseille, and he had previously been on Juventus's transfer radar. The article describes the result as leaving Roma battered, with the lesson that dominating like giants is not enough; the side must learn not to fall asleep at the crucial moment.

Roma lost 3-2 at Old Trafford in the Champions League, with a costly error from Leonardo Balerdi deciding the match. Matías Soulé was Roma's standout, rated 7 out of 10, after he scored from the near post and then won a penalty by finding the arm of Heaven. Donyell Malen converted the spot-kick with a perfect strike. Those goals gave Roma a lead, but Manchester United fought back to level and then go ahead. Vásquez, who was starting in a Champions League match at Old Trafford, was rated 6. Only a month earlier he had been training on the B pitch at Trigoria with little hope of returning to action, and the Colombian goalkeeper's rise was described as a reminder that football is full of surprises. He had a tricky first half, handling balls with his feet that were not always straightforward. In the second half he came off his line to deal with a danger after Baleba was injured, then saved a penalty well. The referee ordered it retaken, which the writer described as a disgrace. Vásquez could do nothing about the equaliser, then was beaten by the post. Mancini, rated 6, was tested at both ends. He made a crucial sliding tackle after 13 minutes to stop a dangerous cross from Fernandes, but he started the second half poorly. Hermoso, rated 6.5, was among Roma's best defenders, blocking shots and launching counterattacks. Cristante, also rated 6.5, was one of the best players in the first half, controlling passing lanes, tackles and recoveries, but he could not find the same authority after the break. Wesley, rated 6, improved defensively, winning two decisive balls from United players in the first half, but he also faded in the second. Balerdi was rated 5.5. He struggled under pressure with the ball at his feet, but recovered situations with remarkable speed and bravery in the challenge. After a near-perfect performance he played the decisive pass that led to the 2-2, which was rated as a bitter blow. De Roon, rated 5.5, provided calm and composure but tired badly in the second half. Malen, rated 6, faded after his penalty. Ghilardi, who came on at 75 minutes and was rated 5.5, cleared and blocked whatever he could. N'Dicka, also introduced at 75 minutes and rated 5.5, restored calm at the back, but Balerdi's error ruined his good work. Castro, who replaced Malen at 78 minutes and was rated 6, tried to lift the team and succeeded at times.