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Matheus Cunha was the hero before his red card(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Manchester United produced a vintage comeback to beat Roma 3-2 - and ensure that Michael Carrick keeps his job for at least one more game. A nightmare start from the Red Devils gave themselves a mountain to climb, but their vastly improved second-half performance turned the Champions League tie on its head.
Roma raced into the lead by scoring twice in the opening 18 minutes, as Matias Soule and Donyell Malen capitalised on more atrocious defending. United were fortunate not to be further behind but were handed a lifeline just before the hour mark, as Matheus Cunha won a dubious penalty.
Bruno Fernandes saw his effort saved by Roma's debutant goalkeeper, Devis Vasquez, before a retake was ordered for encroachment. At the second time of asking, Fernandes converted in emphatic fashion and it was suddenly game on.
The Red Devils had renewed confidence and after plenty of huffing and puffing, Cunha pounced on Leonardo Balerdi's woeful clearance and slotted home the equaliser. But the winning goal was all his doing, hammering a strike past Vasquez at his near post and wheeling away in celebration while shirtless.
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Cunha was booked for his celebration before leaping into the crowd and running the risk of being sent off. The Brazilian briefly survived but was shown a second yellow for a late tackle in stoppage time, setting up an even more nervy final few minutes.
United held on to claim their first win since they beat Champions League minnows Sabah 10 games ago, avoiding their worst run since the 1984-85 season. It was almost last chance saloon for Carrick, who had to select a line-up capable of stopping the rot.
Despite his ban only applying to Premier League matches, Lisandro Martinez was dropped to the bench following his disastrous performance against Chelsea. Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo made his first start for nearly a month.
"I think tonight is a whole new Man United," Carrick said in a pre-match interview. "It's the next opportunity for us to win a football match, we are looking to do that, we need to do that, and tonight would be a good one [for us to win]."
He was wrong. Inside 18 minutes, his side were 2-0 down after conceding another couple of calamitous goals.
The first saw Mainoo easily dispossessed in midfield before Roma worked it to Rodrigo Mora, who spotted Soule in acres of space with Diogo Dalot caught high up the pitch. The Argentine then produced a cool finish past Senne Lammens to put the visitors in front.
It wasn't long until it was 2-0. This time, Harry Maguire's poor clearance was seized upon by Soule, whose shot was blocked by the arm of Ayden Heaven.
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano pointed to the spot and Malen converted the penalty to continue his rich vein of form. Even by United's plummeting standards, it was a shocking start on such an important night.
Roma stormed into a 2-0 lead(Image: Oli SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Before kick-off, it emerged that United supporters were planning an anti-Glazer - just about anti-everyone in fact - protest during the 21st minute. Green and gold balloons filled the Stretford End before tennis balls - as well as a pie - were thrown onto the pitch accompanied by loud chants of 'we want Glazers out'.
There were also chants against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox, making for a toxic atmosphere. And who'd blame them?
When the half-time whistle sounded, much to United's mercy, a crescendo of boos quickly turned to silence. Old Trafford was awash with apathy.
Manchester United fans hurled tennis balls onto the pitch(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Murphy's law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. You won't see many clearer examples than when Baleba charged into Roma's penalty area and shaped up to shoot, only to pull out and start clutching his hamstring.
It was a bright start to the second half that proved only to be a flicker, as Baleba had to be substituted. The midfielder arrived at United injured and could face a lengthy period on the sidelines.
Talk about a game of two halves - Roma didn't take a single shot in the second period, despite going close to getting a third on several occasions before half-time. United were certainly aided by a questionable penalty and poor defending, but it was their seldom-seen fighting spirit that was key to the comeback.
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