Como did not need Manchester United to chase the game before finding room to hurt them. Nico Paz scored in the second minute, supplied the pass for the second goal and struck again as Cesc Fàbregas's side won 4-1 at the Sinigaglia on Wednesday. The result extended United's winless run to seven matches. More revealing than the margin was the variety of ways Como opened them up.
Paz could finish from outside the area, release a runner through the defence and punish a loss of possession. United never found a convincing answer to all three. This was not simply a night when one exceptional shot changed an otherwise balanced contest. Como kept asking different questions, while the visitors' attempts to reset at half-time quickly unravelled.
An early chance, then a different game
Diogo Dalot had an opportunity before Como scored, taking down Matheus Cunha's delivery but sending his left-footed attempt wide. Paz's response at the other end was decisive. Given room near the edge of the box, he bent his finish beyond Senne Lammens and immediately changed the demands on United.
An away side hoping to settle into its shape was already behind. Yet being behind did not automatically produce a coherent response. Como continued to move the ball and threaten, with Tasos Douvikas providing a forward target rather than leaving Paz to create everything on his own. Harry Maguire headed wide from Bryan Mbeumo's cross, but United reached the interval with the same one-goal deficit.
That score offered Carrick a route back. It also concealed how uncomfortable the contest had been. The distinction matters: a narrow half-time margin is not evidence that a defensive plan is working if the opposition keeps finding promising positions. United needed improvement in their use of the ball and in the protection around it, not merely a more favourable bounce.
The interval changes did not close the gaps
Carlos Baleba and Amad replaced Andrey Santos and Cunha at the break. Within four minutes of the restart, however, Paz had found Douvikas for Como's second. The hosts' official account traces the combination through Lucas da Cunha, Martin Baturina and Paz before the final pass. It was a connected move, not an isolated defensive accident.
Eight minutes later, Paz added the third after Como regained the ball from Baleba. Descriptions differ over the precise mechanics of that turnover, so the useful point is the uncontested consequence: Paz had a route towards goal and finished it. United were being beaten both when Como constructed an attack and when possession changed hands.
The table separates those problems rather than treating every goal as the same failure.
| Como goal | What created the opening | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Paz, second minute | Space to shoot near the box | United were behind before settling |
| Douvikas, 49th minute | A passing combination and Paz's release | Half-time changes had not stopped penetration |
| Paz, 57th minute | A turnover followed by a direct advance | United lacked protection after losing the ball |
| Ramón, 76th minute | Kaiki's delivery met by a centre-back | Como retained the freedom to add another runner |
Jacobo Ramón's header made the score 4-0 before Joshua Zirkzee converted Amad's cross in stoppage time. That late goal altered the margin, not the direction of the evening.
More attempts were not enough
Opta recorded 12 United shots to Como's 11, but the hosts put eight attempts on target and produced 2.04 expected goals against United's 1.05. Expected goals measures the estimated quality of chances, not what a team deserved by right or what it will score next time. Here it helps explain why the headline shot count would be a poor summary of the match.
The pattern was about access to useful shooting positions, not just the willingness to shoot. United could accumulate attempts without matching the danger of Como's clearest openings. Equally, four goals should not be converted into a forecast that Fàbregas's side will finish every chance with similar efficiency. The relevant evidence is a convincing performance across this particular match.
Responsibility and the next response
Carrick accepted responsibility and apologised to the travelling supporters in his post-match comments. He also challenged the intensity of the performance. Bruno Fernandes discussed the decision not to press man-to-man throughout; Carrick responded that the second-half approach had changed and still required players to run forward and recover.
Those accounts should not be flattened into a claim that one tactical instruction explains everything. Pressing is not simply an on-off switch. If players move towards the ball without the rest of the side supporting them, the space behind the first challenge can become more dangerous. If they wait, they still have to deny comfortable receptions and follow runners. Como exploited enough openings to make both the plan and its execution legitimate subjects for scrutiny.
United's official report also records Matthijs de Ligt's return after 325 days out and 79 minutes on the pitch. That is meaningful recovery progress for the defender, but it should be kept separate from an assessment of the team's performance. His return did not make United's defensive relationships function smoothly overnight.
For more current coverage, visit the Football hub and News archive. The immediate sporting test for United is the response at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, not a speculative verdict on Carrick's employment. No managerial decision is asserted here. For Como, Paz's two goals and assist gave a clear expression to a team performance that deserves attention beyond the identity of the beaten opponent.
The hero is an archive photograph of Como playing Lazio at the Sinigaglia on 31 October 2024, not imagery of this United fixture or an identification of Paz in the frame. This report contains no betting recommendation. Betting is for adults aged 18 and over, carries a risk of loss and should never be treated as income. See our responsible gambling guidance.