Paz Puts On a Show as Como Thrash Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League

COMO, Italy — On Wednesday at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como had the night of their lives. Champions League debutants playing only their third game in the competition swept aside Manchester United 4-1, and the 22-year-old at the heart of it all, Nico Paz, produced a performance European football will remember.

Paz needed barely two minutes. Moments after Diogo Dalot had curled an early United opening wide, Lucas Da Cunha found the Argentine on the edge of the box, Harry Maguire gave him too much room to turn, and Paz bent a gorgeous left-footed strike into the far top corner past Senne Lammens. It was his first Champions League goal. It would not be his last of the night.

Missing nine players through injury, suspension or illness — including Sesko, Rashford, Mainoo, Martinez, Shaw and the suspended Yoro — United chased shadows. De Ligt, making his first start in 325 days after a back injury, had a long evening, and a Baturina penalty appeal went unheard. Douvikas forced a near-post save from Lammens but shinned his next chance over; at the other end Fernandes curled harmlessly over, and United were grateful to be only one down at the break.

Carrick sent on Amad Diallo and Baleba at half-time for Cunha and the booked Santos, but within four minutes Paz had slipped Douvikas in behind, and the Greek striker swept home clinically past the advancing Lammens.

On 57 minutes Paz capped his evening. Baleba turned into trouble in his own half, Paz robbed him near the touchline, surged diagonally for more than 30 metres and steered a left-footed finish inside the far post. Two goals, one assist, and one utterly demoralised European giant.

Fourteen minutes from time, substitute Kaiki Bruno raced down the left and crossed for centre-back Jacobo Ramon to head home from six yards. Zirkzee hooked in a stoppage-time consolation from Diallo's cross, but many United fans had left long before the end.

The numbers told of total dominance: 594 completed passes, the most by any side against United in a Champions League match since Barcelona's 725 in April 2019. Only AC Milan had previously beaten United by three goals or more in European Cup history; Como are now the second Italian club to do it, and the first Italian side to win both of their first two home games in major European competition since Udinese in 1997-98. With six points from three games, Fabregas's men are no longer just making up the numbers.

For Paz, it was historic personally too. At 22 years and 43 days he became the second-youngest player involved in three goals in a Champions League game against English opposition, behind only Porto's Andre Silva against Leicester in 2016 — and the youngest Argentine since Messi against Bayern in April 2009. Since September, he has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Serie A player: four goals and five assists in eight appearances.

"That was one of the most beautiful games of my career; I'll never forget it," Paz told Sky Sport Italia afterwards. "It's more than what I had dreamed of; we played an incredible game. We have to continue like this, but this was an historic night for everyone from Como. We have to carry on like this, not thinking about where we can go, but to take on every game as if it's our last."

Fabregas struck a humbler note: "It's a special night, but we are still at the beginning for everything we have in our minds," he said. "This was Manchester United we were up against; it doesn't matter if they are struggling at the moment, we must never forget that some of our players were having the third Champions League game of their entire careers. The belief of these lads and their way of doing things gives me life."

For United, the night was a catastrophe. For the second Champions League game in a row they conceded inside two minutes — Atletico had needed only 47 seconds eight days earlier — a first for any English side in major European games. The winless run is seven matches in all competitions, Carrick has two wins from 11 this season, and Bournemouth visit Old Trafford on Sunday.

The most damaging fallout came after the final whistle. Captain Bruno Fernandes told TNT Sports that "it's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man" and that sitting off a side like Como only gives them confidence. "That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me," he said. Carrick, told about the comments in his press conference, said United had pressed man-to-man for part of the second half and conceded from it, then pointed at effort instead: if players do not run back, "you ain't going to win." The manager admitted he was "really angry" and walked over to the travelling supporters who had stayed to apologise before leaving the pitch. Asked about his own future, he said: "It's not about me right now."

United are 13th in the Premier League, out of the Carabao Cup, and have three points from three league-phase games. The Champions League, a competition they have won three times, was supposed to be the escape from a miserable domestic season. On the shore of Lake Como, it became the place where the misery followed them — and where a 22-year-old Argentine announced himself to Europe.