The match began in disastrous fashion for the hosts, who found themselves trailing 2-0 within the opening 20 minutes. Matias Soule opened the scoring in the 11th minute after finding space to convert a pass from Rodrigo Mora. Shortly after, Donyell Malen doubled the visitors' lead from the penalty spot following a handball by Ayden Heaven. The atmosphere at Old Trafford grew increasingly tense during the first half, with play briefly halted as supporters threw tennis balls onto the pitch to protest against the club's ownership.
A Second-Half Transformation
United’s prospects appeared to dim further early in the second half when summer signing Carlos Baleba was forced off with a suspected severe hamstring injury. However, the momentum shifted just before the hour mark when
The goal ignited a surge of intensity from the home side. After Bryan Mbeumo struck the woodwork and Roma scrambled to clear their lines, the pressure eventually told in the 83rd minute. A defensive error from Leonardo Balerdi allowed Cunha to tap in the equalizer. Just three minutes later, the Brazilian forward completed the turnaround by firing a powerful shot past Vasquez at the near post.
The dramatic finish concluded with Cunha receiving a second yellow card for a late challenge in stoppage time, leaving United to defend their lead with ten men. The victory marks a significant development for the club, which had previously suffered consecutive
