Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Champions League, 21 October 2026
A first-time Champions League side tore apart one of English football’s great names. Manchester United suffered one of their most embarrassing European defeats ever, and Michael Carrick is under serious pressure.
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THE GOALS
1-0, Nico Paz (3′)
Diogo Dalot fired off target after an Alex Valle slip, and Como broke the deadlock at the other end barely two minutes later. Paz gathered just inside the area, took a touch as Harry Maguire backed off, and bent a left-footed finish into the far top corner. It was his first Champions League goal.
2-0, Tasos Douvikas (49′)
Baturina found Paz, whose slide-rule pass released Douvikas to sweep the ball past the on-rushing Lammens from 15 yards. It was the Greece international’s third goal in as many Champions League games. He ran away from a disoriented Matthijs de Ligt to get there.
3-0, Nico Paz (57′)
Paz caught half-time substitute Carlos Baleba napping in midfield, surged forward and swept past the on-rushing Lammens to complete his brace. He wanted a hat-trick and forced a save moments later from the edge of the box.
4-0, Jacobo Ramón (76′)
A well-worked team move: Valle sent Bruno Kaiki into acres of space down the left, and his floated cross found centre-back Ramón for a free header from six yards.
4-1, Joshua Zirkzee (90+1′)
In added time, Zirkzee hooked down a Diallo ball over the top and fired in on the bounce, giving the fans still in the stadium something to cheer.
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WHAT ELSE HAPPENED
Como could have been even further ahead. Lammens tripped Douvikas before half-time, but the offside flag saved United, and Da Cunha bent a left-footer just past the far top corner shortly after the second goal. United’s first real chance came after 65 minutes, when Butez fingertipped Amad Diallo’s strike over the bar.
THE TAKEAWAYS
Paz ran the show. He scored two, set up another and was the player United couldn’t stop.
Como earned this. They were also hit by injuries but played bold, joined-up football that had United chasing shadows.
Manchester United are in crisis. They’re winless in seven games across all competitions, and Carrick admitted the performance was “not acceptable”. They were without nine players in Italy.
HOW THE PREVIEW HELD UP
We tipped Como to win and Douvikas to score, and both came true. We had given the edge to Como, but that was an understatement by a distance.
RIZZSPORTS VERDICT
Como had the greatest night in their history, and Manchester United have a lot of questions to answer.
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