Cunha Fires Manchester United Past Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford
Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, and the winner arrived in the 86th minute. Matheus Cunha scored it. He had also scored earlier in the game, so he finished with two goals.
Roma were the better side in the first half. They led 2-0 at half-time, through a strike from Soulé and a penalty from Malen. The Champions League is Europe's biggest club competition, and Roma had come into the match in form, having scored 28 goals in 10 Serie A games this season.
United fought back in the second half. Bruno Fernandes pulled one back from the penalty spot, after the kick was retaken. Cunha then scored his second, a few minutes later, to give United the lead. A substitute, a player brought on from the bench, Shea Lacey, provided the pass for that winning goal.
The night ended with a moment of drama for United. In the 90th minute, Cunha was sent off for a second yellow card, after a late lunge at Roma defender Leonardo Balerdi. A second yellow card in one match means an automatic red, so Cunha will not be on the pitch again. He had to watch the last minutes from the dugout side of the touchline, and the home crowd still had the win to hold on to.
The win came with the manager under the spotlight. Michael Carrick was in charge for this match, and before kick-off he brushed off questions about his future, according to Reuters. Carrick knows this fixture well. In 2007, he scored twice for United in a 7-1 quarter-final second-leg win over Roma, and his name was in the story again on Tuesday.
For the table, a Champions League win is worth a lot. The competition has 36 teams in its league phase this season, and every result counts toward who goes through to the knockout rounds. United also face Aston Villa at home in the Premier League on Sunday, so there is little time to dwell on the match.
What stays with you is the shape of the night. United were two goals down at half-time, and they found a way back. A fan in the stands on Tuesday would have seen the lead change hands in the closing stages, and then seen their side hold on with ten men. As the Guardian's match report put it, the result turned on a late goal. That is football at its simplest: a few minutes can change how a whole week feels.
