Top things to know
- Manchester United lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on October 21, 2026.
- Nico Paz scored twice for Como, with Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón also on target; Joshua Zirkzee scored a late consolation for United.
- The defeat extended United's winless run to seven matches in all competitions and increased pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
- Carrick said his team's performance was "not acceptable" and that he had not given his own position any thought.
- United were missing nine players through injury, suspension or illness, and the result was their worst in continental football since 1994, according to The Guardian.
Manchester United suffered a dismal 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday, a result that extended their winless run to seven matches in all competitions and intensified scrutiny on manager Michael Carrick.
Argentina international Nico Paz struck twice for the Italian side, either side of a goal from Tasos Douvikas, before Jacobo Ramón added a fourth for Como, according to AFP. Only a late Joshua Zirkzee goal spared United from suffering their joint-heaviest defeat in the competition.
The match was played at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como, northern Italy, on October 21, 2026. Como, managed by Cesc Fàbregas and making their Champions League debut this season, secured their second 4-1 home win of the campaign. The Guardian reported that the defeat was United's worst in continental football since 1994 and came despite Como's players having only 62 total Champions League appearances compared to United's 242.
Carrick, speaking after the match, did not shy away from the severity of the performance. "I have not given my own position any thought," he said. "For us to play in that way, it's not acceptable. It wasn't a good performance at all."
The Guardian reported that Carrick later admitted to "anger" at what he witnessed and was involved in a disagreement with captain Bruno Fernandes, who stated that "the staff" decided on a tactic not to press. Carrick responded: "We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that."
United's defensive frailties were exposed early. According to The Guardian, Carrick's men conceded after just two minutes when Paz curled a shot past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. This followed a first-minute concession against Atlético Madrid eight days earlier, making United the first English team to concede inside two minutes in consecutive major European matches.
Carrick made a double substitution at half-time, bringing on Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo for Matheus Cunha and Andrey Santos, but Como scored their second four minutes into the second half through Douvikas. Paz added his second on 57 minutes, and Ramón headed in a fourth on 76 minutes from Kaiki Bruno's cross.
The Guardian noted that United were missing nine players due to injury, suspension or illness, and that Matthijs de Ligt was thrown straight into central defence for his first appearance in 325 days after a serious back injury. The result leaves Carrick's position under increasing threat, with Bournemouth visiting Old Trafford on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the Champions League on Wednesday, Arsenal drew 2-2 at Bayern Munich with Declan Rice scoring a late equaliser, while Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé told Movistar: "We know every point is important to get into the top eight, we know we have to win as many games as possible -- we've won three and there are five to go."