· 2 min readIn this Como vs Man United match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Manchester United came into the third matchday of the Champions League in an increasingly difficult situation. Their last win had come 41 days earlier, in the opening European fixture against Sabah. Since then, they had gone six games without a win and had managed just two victories all season. On the other side was Como, who were no longer enjoying the surprise factor of their first few months, but remained a very well-drilled side. I wouldn’t have been surprised at all to see an Italian win. What actually happened was even worse than that.
United had a good chance after just two minutes, but Dalot failed to control the ball properly inside the box and shot wide. Almost immediately, they conceded at the other end. Da Cunha found Nico Paz completely unmarked on the edge of the box, and the Argentine took a touch before placing his shot just inside the far post.
Two minutes gone and United were already behind. Nothing new for a team that always seems to find a way to make life difficult for themselves.
What followed was difficult to justify. Bruno Fernandes was playing as the most advanced player, while Mbeumo occupied the right wing, leaving United practically without a centre-forward. Bruno dropped deep to receive the ball, but nobody filled the space he left up front. The result was a team with no attacking focal point, unable to link their play together and incapable of pressing effectively.
Como, on the other hand, moved the ball around with impressive ease. They didn’t need to create chance after chance to show how much more comfortable they were. In the 38th minute, Douvikas received an excellent pass from Yan Couto, broke through between the centre-backs and wasted a good opportunity.
At half-time, United had managed just three shots, none on target, and a miserable 0.10 expected goals. Mbeumo had touched the ball just nine times by the 44th minute. Even centre-back Maguire had been more involved in the game than practically the entire team.
Carrick made changes at half-time, bringing on Diallo and Baleba, with Mbeumo moving up front. But the changes had no time to make an impact. In the 49th minute, Nico Paz appeared again, this time playing Douvikas through in behind. The striker found space against De Ligt and finished well. Two-nil, and United still had no response.
The third goal came in the 57th minute and was perhaps the most revealing moment of the night. Baleba took far too long on the ball, Nico Paz anticipated him, won possession, carried it into the box and fired home again. An individual mistake, yes, but also another example of how easily Como were exploiting their opponents’ problems. Nico Paz was putting in an outrageous performance.
Bruno Fernandes came off in the 67th minute after a very poor display. The problem was that United continued to have possession without knowing what to do with it. In the 76th minute, Kaiki crossed from the left and Jacobo Ramón rose to head home the fourth. The English defence once again looked completely lost.
Zirkzee pulled one back in the 90+1st minute after Diallo crossed from the right, but the goal served only to prevent United from finishing with nothing on the scoresheet. They were dominated from start to finish, created no real danger and showed no ability to respond.
And this is where the problem goes beyond Carrick. The manager has his share of responsibility, but this club has spent more than a decade making decisions that are difficult to understand.
Post-match
As long as the people in charge keep getting things wrong, changing the manager will be just another attempt to disguise a much deeper illness. Manchester United are becoming irrelevant, and this defeat is yet another warning sign.
