After 54 days without a win and two goals down in the first half, Manchester United produced a remarkable comeback to beat Roma 3-2 at Old Trafford on matchday four of the UEFA Champions League. Gian Piero Gasperini's side went ahead in the 11th minute when 19-year-old Rodrigo Mora's long pass released Matías Soulé, who finished clinically, and Donyell Malen doubled the lead from the spot in the 18th minute after Ayden Heaven was penalised for handball. Michael Carrick, who went into the game on the brink of the sack after a nine-match winless run, then watched the contest swing decisively after the break. Bruno Fernandes converted a retaken penalty in the 58th minute to end his nine-game goal drought, before Matheus Cunha struck twice, in the 83rd and 86th minutes. Cunha did not see out the game, though: booked for removing his shirt while celebrating and again for a reckless foul, he was sent off a minute into stoppage time.
Istanbul's Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium witnessed another dramatic defeat for a European heavyweight as Andoni Iraola's Liverpool lost 3-2 to Turkish side Fenerbahce, the Spaniard's second straight defeat in charge. Liverpool led twice, through Trey Nyoni in the 25th minute and Alexander Isak in the 69th, but the hosts hit back within four minutes on both occasions. Led by interim manager Dirk Kuyt, a former Liverpool player, Fenerbahce levelled through a deflected Mason Greenwood effort and an Archie Brown goal, before Vedat Muriqi's powerful header in the 79th minute sealed victory for the Istanbul club. Iraola pinned the blame squarely on his side's defending. "The main reason that I can find for why we lost this game is we conceded from three set pieces. It's something that we were doing very well in the league, I think we were dealing with it quite well until today," the Spaniard admitted. "Especially the first goal and the third goal - the second one is a rebound - but the first one, I don't think we set the wall properly and the last one, Muriqi wins the ball against three defenders, it's definitely something we need to defend better," he added.
Sponsored
Liverpool's set-piece struggles stood in sharp contrast to Bayern Munich's display in Madrid the previous night, where the German giants delivered a masterclass in tactical discipline amid a severe injury crisis to beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on their own patch. Bayern were without the injured Jamal Musiala, Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry and Ismael Saibari, while manager Vincent Kompany did not even travel to Madrid because of a meningitis-related condition. Eighteen-year-old Lennart Karl dispossessed Robin Le Normand and lifted the ball over Jan Oblak, before Konrad Laimer, named player of the match, added the second from a Harry Kane assist. Kane himself drew a blank, missing the chance to match Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring in 11 consecutive Champions League matches. "There was a lot of noise around us heading in but we're very convinced of the squad we have, of the players we've got at our disposal and I think we showed over 90 minutes the type of football we can play," Laimer insisted. "We heard that people were doubting how well we could perform today against a top team, just two points behind Barcelona in La Liga, but to give an answer in the way we did is sensational," captain Manuel Neuer added. "They're a strong side but we were holding our own. It's the little details that decide a game, and we weren't expecting that first goal," Atletico's Marcos Llorente conceded. "We were covering well, so it hit us like a bucket of cold water." The win lifted Bayern to eighth in the league-phase table by the end of Tuesday's games, while Atletico slipped to 22nd.
If Bayern's win in Madrid was built on pragmatism, holders PSG launched an all-out assault at another Spanish ground, the Estadio de la Cerámica, where they demolished Villarreal 6-0. The Parisians scored four times in an eight-minute first-half spell: João Neves opened the scoring in the ninth minute, Désiré Doué added a second in the 12th, Senny Mayulu a third in the 13th and Fabián Ruiz soon made it four. Ruiz completed his double after the break, and 17-year-old David Boly marked his Champions League debut with a goal. PSG have now won 10 games in a row in all competitions, and their 14-match unbeaten run equals the longest by a French club in Europe's premier competition. Villarreal's recent Champions League record, by contrast, makes grim reading: one win, one draw and 12 defeats in their last 14 matches.
PSG's statement win was followed a day later by drama in Athens, where Real Madrid edged AEK Athens 3-2 to keep their 100 per cent record with four wins from four, though Vinícius Júnior's flat performance dominated the post-match debate. The hosts led twice through Aboubakary Koita and Stavros Pilios, but after Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé equalised, Federico Valverde won it with a long-range strike in the 92nd minute. Victory did little to shield Vinícius from fierce criticism in the Spanish media, with ElDesmarque handing him a 2/10 rating. "The word acceptable is not for a player like Vinicius," insisted former player and coach Jorge Valdano, who stressed that the Brazilian had produced just one good attacking move. "Vini had a chance to shine, but delivered nothing," AS deputy editor Tomás Roncero lamented, adding that the forward had "lost his spark". "Diomande is an example, learn from him, Vini," urged journalist Javier Herráez, pointing straight at the Brazilian's rival for a starting place. The numbers bear out the slump. Vinícius has completed only 15 of his 37 dribbles this season, a 40 per cent success rate, and did not complete a single one in his last two Champions League matches, while Yan Diomande has succeeded with 36 of his 56 attempts (64 per cent).
Wednesday's most historic result came in France, where Italian side Como thrashed Lens 9-1 away from home to equal the record for the most goals scored by one team in a single Champions League match. Anastasios Douvikas led the way with a hat-trick, Nico Paz, Lucas Da Cunha, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Mattia Liberali and Martin Baturina also found the net, and 18-year-old debutant Matteo Papaccioli claimed the historic ninth. Elsewhere on matchday four, Norway's Viking FK beat Azerbaijan's Sabah FK 4-1 for their first win in the competition. Erling Haaland's winner gave Manchester City a 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig, his 13th goal in nine career appearances against the German side, while 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas was on target as Borussia Dortmund beat Real Betis 2-1. FC Porto beat Napoli 4-1, Club Brugge won 2-1 away at PSV Eindhoven and Arsenal saw off Slavia Prague 2-1 with goals from Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke. After four rounds, PSG lead the table on goal difference from Real Madrid, both with four wins and 12 points, while Lens dropped to 33rd after their 9-1 humiliation, outside the play-off places.
