Como vs Manchester United produced one of the great Champions League shocks. Cesc Fàbregas’ Como thrashed Manchester United 4-1 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Wednesday night, with Nico Paz scoring twice in a dazzling display that left Michael Carrick’s job hanging by a thread.
Paz curled a glorious effort inside the far post after just two minutes, then teed up Tasos Douvikas to loft a finish over Senne Lammens early in the second half. Paz added his second with a fine solo goal before Jacobo Ramón’s powerful header made it four. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee scored a stoppage-time consolation.
Carrick under unbearable pressure
The defeat stretched United’s winless run to seven matches in all competitions — their worst run since 2015 — and included their worst start to a league season in 40 years. Carrick apologized to the traveling supporters afterward but insisted he was not thinking about his future.
“First of all, I have to apologise to the supporters,” Carrick said. “For us to play in that way is not acceptable. It wasn’t a good performance at all.” United became the first English team ever to concede in the opening two minutes of two consecutive major European matches.
What comes next
The scale of the defeat sent shockwaves through the competition. Como, managed by Fàbregas, played with a swagger that belied their underdog status, and Paz’s two-goal masterclass announced him as one of Europe’s most exciting young talents. United were second best in every department on a humiliating night.
For Carrick, the pressure is now suffocating. A 4-1 defeat to Como, however impressive the Italians were, is not a result Manchester United can accept, and the board’s patience is being tested. The players looked lost and the tactics confused. Something has to change quickly, or this season will spiral beyond rescue.
Reports indicate figures at the club are losing faith, with Carrick now the bookmakers’ favorite to be the next manager to leave. A weekend meeting with Bournemouth could leave United in relegation-zone territory. For Como and Paz — the night’s Player of the Match — it was a historic evening that caps a wild Champions League week.
