Nico Paz Hits Two as Como Thrash Manchester United 4-1
Como beat Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and Nico Paz was the player who did the most damage. He scored twice and set up another goal. The match took place at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium, on the banks of Lake Como in northern Italy, in heavy rain.
The Champions League is Europe's biggest club competition, and a win there carries weight well beyond one evening. For Como, it was another sign of how far the club has come. They finished fourth in Serie A, Italy's top division, in the 2025-26 season under coach Cesc Fabregas. That place was confirmed after AC Milan lost at Cagliari, and it sent Como into Europe's elite competition.
The journey has been a long one. BBC Sport reports that Como returned to Serie D, Italy's fourth tier, in 2017 after failing to convince the authorities that their finances were sound. Their ownership deal with Sent Entertainment, a London-based company owned by the Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono, was concluded in 2019.
For Manchester United, the result added to a difficult run. They had gone seven games in all competitions without a win, their first run like that since 2015. Manchester United's own website described them as beaten 4-1 in rain-soaked northern Italy. Manchester United's website carried the match report, and the club's manager, Michael Carrick, spoke afterwards. He said everyone has to take responsibility.
ESPN called the result one of the most embarrassing European defeats in United's history. That is a strong description, and it is ESPN's view. The defeat was also not confined to the first team. United's Under-19s lost 2-1 to Como's Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League on the same day, according to the club's website.
Some of the detail of the night is still worth knowing for anyone who missed it. Fabregas now has a side that can beat a famous name in a packed European night. Paz, who has now been part of a match that will be talked about for a while, has given the club a story to tell. Manchester United, meanwhile, have little time to dwell on it. Their next match is on Sunday 25 October, and the pressure to stop the slide will be immediate.
The next time these two sides meet, the result will matter less than the mood. Como have shown they can compete at the top of Europe. United have a run to end, and they have to do it fast.
