Roma led Manchester United at Old Trafford for 45 minutes and played outstandingly, but lost 3-2 after a controversial penalty and a late collapse. The article argues Roma were strong in the first half despite heavy absences, including a third-choice goalkeeper in goal and a squad less deep than United's. Roma scored two goals in that opening period and came close to a third. Gasperini's side then gradually lost the ability to play out from their own half once United raised their pressing, continuing with solutions that had worked in the first half. The article says Roma needed to change approach, accept some long balls, break the rhythm and accept that defending a lead does not mean abandoning their identity.
Some reserves, the article states, have not yet shown the same reliability as the starters. It describes this as not a condemnation but an observation that becomes evident when a Champions League match suddenly changes intensity. Gasperini has built a competitive side, but not yet a squad able to maintain the same level through all of its substitutions.
The article, however, says this cannot excuse what happened at the 55th minute. It describes the penalty Gil Manzano awarded for contact between Mancini and Cunha as a decision that leaves observers frankly astonished: a very light touch, an attacker who seems to lose his balance alone, and a referee pointing to the spot with a certainty inversely proportional to the foul. According to a rigorous technical assessment, the article says, the penalty should never have existed. On the retake, Cristante entered the area early and intervened on the rebound from Vasquez's save, which made the rule applicable. The article calls this the paradox: VAR intervened over a marginal infringement but did not correct the original decision. After Bruno Fernandes missed and Vasquez saved, the retake led to the goal that changed the match's momentum, and United regained enthusiasm as Old Trafford came alive. The article calls the handling of that episode scandalous, while stressing that this is not a search for an alibi.
Gasperini referred to the usual "rigorini" (small penalties) but did not turn the post-match into a trial of the referee. The article suggests this restraint could be read in light of Roma's delicate relationship with UEFA, given the settlement agreement and the economic monitoring to which the club is subject, though it calls this an interpretation rather than a certainty. Such a low institutional profile would be understandable, the article says, but not necessarily agreeable. Roma need no theatrics, yet should not accept every decision passively; defending their case through the appropriate channels should be a normal form of protection.
The article concludes that work must now focus on Trigoria and on what the pitch revealed: physical decline, the alternatives on the bench, the inability to manage certain moments, and the two goals conceded late that turned a prestigious win at a historically cursed ground into a painful defeat. Roma must learn not to be pegged back, it says, but must not get used to being refereed this way. These are two distinct problems, and both deserve an answer.
Story Coverage4 sources on this story
Roma lost 3-2 at Old Trafford to Manchester United in the Champions League after leading for 45 minutes. The decisive moment came in the 55th minute, when Gil Manzano awarded a penalty for contact by Mancini on Cunha. Vasquez saved Bruno Fernandes's first attempt, but the retake was ordered because Cristante had entered the area early. Fernandes scored at the second attempt, and United's comeback followed. Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport both gave the referee 4 out of 10, while Il Romanista gave him 3. Gazzetta called the penalty very generous, Corriere called it a "rigorino," and Il Romanista argued Cunha exaggerated his fall.
TeleRadioStereo goes further, arguing the penalty should never have been given and that VAR corrected the marginal retake infringement but not the original decision. It calls the handling scandalous while insisting this is not an excuse. GialloRossi reports that Harry Maguire was booked for a slap on Castro and escaped a second yellow for a later foul on the same player, which all three newspapers' slow-motion reviews suggest should have brought a dismissal. Gazzetta also flagged a possible United penalty for a Wesley challenge. The first-half Roma penalty for Heaven's handball on Soulé's shot was not disputed.
Gasperini rejected comparisons with the late collapse against Real Madrid, saying the penalty gave United momentum that Roma could not hold. He said Molina could have come on, but Rensch was injured and Lulli replaced him. TeleRadioStereo says some reserves have not yet matched the starters' reliability, and that Gasperini's restraint toward officials might reflect Roma's settlement agreement with UEFA, though it calls this an interpretation rather than a certainty.
AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Per quarantacinque minuti Old Trafford ha visto una Roma straordinaria. Non una squadra arrivata a Manchester per limitare i danni, ma una formazione capace di mettere sotto lo United, segnare due gol e sfiorare ripetutamente il terzo. Tutto questo con assenze pesantissime, addirittura il terzo…”
Read the full article in Italian at TeleRadioStereo.
