Man Utd snap winless streak with Roma comeback

Manchester United roared back from 2-0 down to give beleaguered manager Michael Carrick a lifeline with a memorable 3-2 win over Roma at Old Trafford.

The unrest among the home fans bordered on mutiny after Roma surged into a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes through Matias Soule and Donyell Malen.

But Matheus Cunha’s struck twice after a twice-taken Bruno Fernandes penalty had given United hope to end a nine-game winless run in all competitions.

The decision to hand Carrick a stay of execution looked to have backfired in a lifeless first half United performance.

Roma, though, failed to slay their ghosts of previous trips to Old Trafford in another spectacular Champions League collapse.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s lost 4-3 to Real Madrid last month after leading 3-1 with just eight minutes remaining.

The Italians have now lost on all five visits to the Theatre of Dreams, most notably when Carrick scored twice in a 7-1 thrashing in the Champions League quarter-finals 19 years ago.

Carrick reacted to Lisandro Martinez’s foolish red card in a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday by dropping the Argentine international.

It made little difference as his disorganised defence was torn apart inside the opening 20 minutes.

Soule was afforded acres of space to control Rodrigo Mora’s pass and slot past Senne Lammens on 11 minutes.

Moments later United were left completely exposed again down their left and Soule’s shot hit the outstretched hand of Ayden Heaven.

Malen converted the resulting penalty for his 12th goal of the season.

The game was temporarily stopped midway through the first half by supporters throwing tennis balls onto the field, accompanied by chants calling for with United’s unpopular owners, the American-based Glazer family, to sell the club.

United were dealt a further blow inside two minutes of the second half when £70 million (US$94 million) signing Carlos Baleba pulled up with a suspected severe hamstring injury after bursting into the Roma box.

Yet, Carrick’s luck turned just before the hour mark when Cunha won a generous penalty award for minimal contact by Gianluca Mancini.

Fernandes’s first spot-kick was saved by Roma’s third-choice goalkeeper Devis Vasquez, but was given a reprieve by encroaching by the visitors.

The United captain smashed home at the second attempt to kickstart the comeback.

Seconds later Bryan Mbeumo hit the inside of both posts and Roma captain Bryan Cristante had to hack clear off the line as the visitors rode their luck.

However, Leonardo Balerdi’s swipe at fresh air deep inside his own box gifted Cunha the simplest task to tap in an equaliser seven minutes from time.

Three minutes later, the Brazilian thundered a shot past Vasquez at his near post and flung himself into the crowd in what proved to be a costly celebration.

Cunha was booked and then shown a second yellow card moments later for a wild lunge in stoppage time.

The 10 men held on to breathe new life into United’s Champions League campaign after back-to-back defeats against Atletico Madrid and Como.

Whether it proves to be a turning point or just another stay of execution for Carrick remains to be seen.