Como Humiliate Man Utd 4-1 To Heap Pressure On Carrick

Manchester United suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday night, deepening the pressure on manager Michael Carrick after another disastrous European performance.

Argentina midfielder Nico Paz scored twice and provided an assist as Como produced a dominant display to expose United’s defensive weaknesses and leave the Premier League giants facing fresh questions about their direction.

Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon also scored for Como, who delivered one of the most emphatic victories of their European campaign.

United’s defensive problems were evident from the opening minutes, with Paz opening the scoring after just 118 seconds.

The early goal came eight days after United conceded in the first minute against Atletico Madrid, making them the first English team to concede within the opening two minutes of consecutive major European matches.

Paz continued to torment United, scoring his second goal before setting up Douvikas to extend Como’s advantage. Ramon then powered home a header to make it 4-0, leaving the visitors staring at the prospect of matching their heaviest European defeat.

United’s worst-ever European loss remains a 5-0 defeat by Sporting of Portugal in 1964.

The gulf between the two clubs was striking. When United last won the Champions League in 2008, Como were playing in Italy’s fourth tier, Serie D. Wednesday’s result, however, underlined the contrasting fortunes of the clubs.

Carrick attempted to change the course of the match at half-time, withdrawing Matheus Cunha and Andrey Santos, two signings costing a combined £110 million under INEOS’ ownership structure.

Captain Bruno Fernandes was also substituted midway through the second half, with Joshua Zirkzee coming on as United struggled to contain Como’s attacking threat.

United eventually found the net in stoppage time when Zirkzee beat the offside trap and calmly finished a cross from fellow substitute Amad Diallo.

The consolation goal did little to ease the disappointment of the travelling supporters after a night in which United had been outplayed for long periods.

At full-time, Carrick acknowledged the United fans, repeatedly raising his hands in apology. He appeared to pay little attention to his players as he approached the supporters.

The gesture recalled former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reaction after a 4-1 defeat by Watford in November 2021, a loss that preceded his dismissal the following day.

For Carrick, the scale of Wednesday’s defeat is likely to intensify scrutiny of his leadership, with United facing mounting pressure to address their defensive frailties and restore confidence after another damaging European night.