Como vs. Manchester United: Como Rout United 4-1 in Champions League

What happened

Como vs. Manchester United turned into one of the results of the Champions League season so far. The Italian club won 4-1 at its lakeside home, the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the third round of the league phase, according to Sky Sports.

Nico Paz set the tone almost immediately, curling a left-footed shot into the top corner in the second minute. He added a second after the break, and Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón also scored. Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in stoppage time was the only thing United had to show for the night.

For Michael Carrick’s team, the loss stretched a winless run to seven games across all competitions. VAVEL called it a “historic victory” for Cesc Fàbregas’ Como.

How the goals came

Minute marks follow Sky Sports’ report; some live feeds logged the first two goals a minute apart from these times.

The numbers behind the rout

Como controlled the game long before the second-half goals. In the first half alone, Como had 62% of the ball, six shots to United’s three and four shots on target to United’s none, according to VAVEL. Como completed 417 passes in that half, compared with 240 for United, and committed just two fouls to United’s nine.

A few other details from the night:

• A young star’s big game. Paz, 22, became the second-youngest South American to score against United in the Champions League, behind only Lionel Messi in the 2009 final, according to Opta data cited by TNT Sports.
• Slow starts. United are the first English side to concede in the opening two minutes of back-to-back major European matches. They gave up a goal in the first minute at Atlético Madrid, then in the second minute at Como.
• A long-awaited return. Matthijs de Ligt, sidelined by back trouble, started a game for the first time in 325 days, Sky Sports reports. He came off in the 78th minute.
• Discipline. United picked up three yellow cards to Como’s one. Nobody was sent off.

Why everyone is talking about it

Part of it is simply the gap in reputation. United have won the European Cup three times, in 1968, 1999 and 2008, while Como have no such history on this stage. Seeing the Italians win this comfortably was a shock to many fans, and it drove a huge spike in searches for the score and standings.

The other part is the pressure on United. Sky Sports reports the team has one goal involvement from captain Bruno Fernandes in his last nine appearances, and the mood after the game was tense.

Carrick said he was “really angry” and told reporters, “For us to play in that way is not acceptable,” according to a second Sky Sports report. He questioned the players’ intensity and their effort tracking back.

Fernandes pointed elsewhere. He said the staff had chosen not to press man to man and that responsibility for that plan sat with the manager and his coaches. Those competing explanations, from the captain and the manager on the same night, add to the questions around Carrick.

What it means for the standings

In the current Champions League format, each of the 36 teams plays eight games in a single league table. The top eight go straight to the round of 16, teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a playoff round, and the rest are eliminated.

United now have three points from three games, which works out to one win and two losses, with the defeats coming at Atlético Madrid and Como. With five games left, there is time to recover, but 112.ua described the result as a major setback for United and a big boost to Como’s hopes of reaching the knockout rounds.

What happens next

• United vs. Bournemouth, Sunday, Oct. 25. United return to the Premier League at home, per Sky Sports. Another poor result would extend the winless run to eight.
• Carrick’s position. Watch how the club responds to the public split between the manager and his captain.
• Como’s push. With a win this big, Fàbregas’ side will look to build on it in the second half of the league phase.

Quick answers

What was the score between Como and Manchester United?

Como won 4-1 on Oct. 21, 2026. Nico Paz scored twice, Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón added goals, and Joshua Zirkzee scored for United.

Who is Como’s manager?

Former Spain, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fàbregas coaches Como.

How many points do Manchester United have in the Champions League?

Three points from three league-phase games, according to Sky Sports, after a win and two defeats.