Roma Return to the Scene of Their Worst European Nightmares, and This Time the Script Has Flipped
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Old Trafford Has Been Roma's Graveyard. Until Now
Old Trafford has produced two of the most one-sided European ties of the modern era, and Roma were on the wrong end of both.
In April 2007, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United dismantled Roma 7-1 in a Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Notably, current United gaffer, Michael Carrick, scored twice, and Cristiano Ronaldo added two more.
Ferguson later called it his greatest night in European football. Fourteen years later, Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani each scored twice in a 6-2 Europa League semi-final first-leg rout.
Roma conceded 13 goals across two visits, and for the club, the Old Trafford ground became shorthand for Roman collapse.
Roma at Old Trafford | Score | Competition | United's star performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2007 | Man Utd 7-1 Roma | CL quarter-final | Cristiano Ronaldo (2 goals) |
| Apr 29, 2021 | Man Utd 6-2 Roma | EL semi-final | Fernandes & Cavani (2 goals each) |
| Nov 3, 2026 | Man Utd vs Roma | CL Matchday 4 | ? |
That reputation makes Tuesday's Matchday 4 fixture all the more striking, because the current form of these two sides has completely reversed.
Not The Same United
Michael Carrick's new United arrives on a run of four defeats in their last five matches across all competitions. They sit 17th in the Premier League on seven points from nine matches, having won just once all season.
Their Champions League campaign features one win and two defeats, a poor return to a tournament they last played in 2023-24.
In truth, no one could predict this slump after Carrick inherited a mid-table squad from Ruben Amorim and took them all the way to 3rd place last season. Today, the Red Devils are winless in nine straight games, and possibly starting a 10th.
After all, Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are unbeaten in Serie A, with seven wins and three draws through their first ten matches.
Malen vs Fernandes: Roma’s Fields New Machine as Boogeyman Loses Form
Bruno haunted Roma on these same grounds with two goals in the Italians 6-2 thrashing in 2021. But the boogeyman might have just lost his touch, having only scored in one game all season. Fernandes boasts a hat-trick, but all three goals came in United’s Gameweek 2 win (5-2) over Ipswich. He has ghosted in eight of his nine matches so far, leaving United fans in despair. But for Roma, the time is just right for revenge.
The Giallorossi field Donyell Malen with eight Serie A goals in ten matches, making him the joint-second top scorer in the Italian top flight.
He opened the season with a hat-trick against Fiorentina, added a brace against Lecce in Gameweek 2, and scored again in the 5-2 win at Udinese on Saturday.
Gasperini, who signed him permanently for around 25 million euros, praised the forward, calling him "extraordinary" and said Malen has "gone well beyond any expectations."
For both sides, these may be the most impactful players tonight. Bruno Fernandes may have had a slow start to the season. But Roma cannot underestimate the reigning men's PFA Players' of the Year.
What This Match Means for Both Sides
United, and an under-fire Carrick, need a result tonight. Three points from three Champions League matches leave them in the bottom third of the 36-team table, with knockout qualification in danger.
Roma, meanwhile, are just as desperate after bagging just four points from three matches. For The Yellow and Reds, a win would not only be their first ever at Old Trafford in European competition, but also put them within touching distance of the top-8.
For tonight’s losers, they’ll get four more games to put their affairs in order or miss out on the knockout stages or playoffs entirely.
