Gasperini: the defeat to Man Utd is more instructive than the loss against Real

In the 18th minute at Old Trafford, in the Champions League stage, Roma led by Gian Piero Gasperini opened 2‑0 against Manchester United thanks to Matias Soulé and the penalty by Donyell Malen, but the penalty converted by Bruno Fernandes, after an initial save by Devis Vasquez was ruled out for an intrusion, changed the course of the match.

Manchester United's comeback

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – November 3, 2026, hosted the match in which Matheus Cunha scored two goals in the second half, giving Man Utd its first home victory since September 10. “Disappointment sets in”, said Gian Piero Gasperini, highlighting the team's disappointment.

Gasperini's reflections and the issues

The coach recalled that the same defeat occurred against Real Madrid, where Roma had a 3‑1 disadvantage for seven minutes before suffering the turnaround. According to Gasperini, the recurrence of collapses in the Champions League and in Serie A, when the team is leading, has become a pattern for the Giallorossi. He added that “This time, it was above all after the penalty that Manchester United had this sudden surge of enthusiasm, and we were unable to keep up with it”.

Gasperini warns Roma cannot underestimate United at Old Trafford

The manager noted that, unlike the match against Real Madrid, Roma failed to press Manchester United's attackers in the second half, and the penalty broke the balance. “There is always going to be 15‑20 minutes against Manchester United when you’re under pressure, and if you can emerge unscathed from it, you’ll be fine”, he said. He acknowledged that the defeat against Real, which was more dominated, was less painful than the one against Manchester United, because the latter represents a missed opportunity.

Gasperini admitted that the team should have used more long balls and disrupted the opponent's rhythm, especially after the opponent's halftime changes. He also highlighted that the momentum shifted with the penalty and the incident that led to 2‑2.

Roma target the Dream Theatre before the duel at Old Trafford

The coach emphasized that, within sixty seconds of Bruno Fernandes' penalty, Bryan Mbeumo hit the post and, three minutes later, the decisive goal arrived. “That’s true, it happened against Real Madrid too, so perhaps there is a bit of disappointment that sets in when you see the victory drifting away”, he said. The coach listed the absences: Mile Svilar and Pierluigi Gollini out injured, forcing Devis Vasquez to debut as third goalkeeper, as well as Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné and Lorenzo Pellegrini unavailable, and Devyne Rensch left with a muscle problem. He clarified that Nahuel Molina, despite being an international, was not introduced, while Lulli was chosen in his place. Finally, Gasperini concluded that this defeat will be a more valuable lesson than the one against Real Madrid for the next stage of the Champions League.