Champions League: Man United stage stunning comeback against Roma, PSG break records in 6-0 rout

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scores a penalty (AP photo) Manchester United produced a remarkable turnaround to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, recovering from a disastrous start at Old Trafford to secure a much-needed victory for under-pressure manager Michael Carrick.While United stole the spotlight with their comeback, Paris Saint-Germain put in an equally emphatic performance to thrash Villarreal 6-0 after scoring four times in the opening 17 minutes. The French champions also set a new Champions League record for the fastest team to score four goals in a match.Elsewhere, Barcelona ended Aston Villa’s unbeaten run in the competition with a 3-0 win, while Bayern Munich won 2-0 away to Atletico Madrid.

After a nightmare start, Man United turned against Roma

United’s night at Old Trafford looked set for another setback after Roma raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening 17 minutes. It was the fastest an English side had conceded twice in a European game on their home soil.Matias Soule opened the scoring in the 11th minute before Donyell Malen converted a penalty to leave the hosts facing an uphill battle. Roma had further opportunities to extend their advantage before the break.However, the competition took a dramatic turn after the restart. Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty at the second attempt to get United back in the game before Matheus Cunha struck twice, finding the net in the 83rd and 86th minutes. Cunha was subsequently expelled.The win provided some relief for Carrick, who were careful not to get carried away with the result.“I don’t get too carried away,” Carrick said. “I think it’s an important night. I think it’s important for some players to have a feeling that maybe they haven’t had before.”

Protests give way to celebrations at Old Trafford

The comeback celebrations were a far cry from the tense atmosphere of earlier in the evening, when a section of United supporters tried to break up the match by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch.The protest was aimed at the club’s American owners, the Glazer family, with fans continuing their long-standing demand that they sell their controlling stake in the club.A small number of tennis balls were thrown in the 21st minute, 21 years since the Glazers completed their leveraged buyout of Manchester United.Fernandes said the team believed they could turn the game around after the break and the home crowd would continue to support them.“After half-time we knew we had the fans still with us and we felt that at any moment we could change it with a goal, something. Fortunately for us today we did it,” he told Amazon Prime.“I hope this win today will start something good for us.”For Roma, the defeat brought back unpleasant memories of their recent collapse against Real Madrid last month, when they conceded three goals in the last 10 minutes of a 4-3 loss.

PSG beat Champions League record in 6-0 demolition

PSG underlined their conviction as serious contenders for another European crown with a commanding 6-0 victory over Villarreal.Luis Enrique’s side, chasing a third straight Champions League title, were ruthless despite missing injured forwards Ousmane Dembele and Khvich Kvaratskhelia.The visitors effectively leveled the match within the first 17 minutes at El Madrigal. Joao Neves, Desire Doue, Senny Mayulu and Fabian Ruiz found the net in a stunning opening spell.According to UEFA, no team has scored four goals so quickly in a Champions League match before.Ruiz added another goal in the second half before 17-year-old David Boly made his competitive debut when he scored four minutes after coming on as a substitute.PSG became the only team to reach 12 points in the competition.Ruiz acknowledged that it is difficult to recover from such a damaging start for Villarreal.“Conceding four goals so quickly is difficult for any team,” he said. “Get ready for a game and then to get four goals against you is a big blow. We don’t look at the scoreboard, we always try to stick to our own style of play and our own rhythm.”

Bayern Munich beat Atlético Madrid

Bayern Munich secured a 2-0 victory away at Atlético Madrid, although newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane did not get on the scoresheet.The German side broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Lennart Karl capitalized on a defensive error. Konrad Laimer then doubled the advantage 20 minutes later, finishing into the net after a precise pass from Kane.The result took Bayern to eight points from four games in the league stage.

Barcelona ended Aston Villa’s perfect run

Barcelona handed Aston Villa their first defeat of the Champions League campaign with a convincing 3-0 win at Camp Nou.Lamine Yamal gave the hosts an early advantage with a seventh-minute strike before Raphinha took control after the break and scored twice to complete the win.The result moved Barcelona into second place in the table ahead of third-placed Villa on goal difference. Their only defeat in the competition so far has come against PSG.

Sporting, Galatasaray among other winners

Sporting Lisbon secured a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk despite announcing their decision to part ways with coach Rui Borges a day earlier.Under reserve coach Tiago Fernandes, the Portuguese side claimed their third Champions League win of the season. Issa Doumbia scored the decisive goal at Stamford Bridge.Galatasaray also picked up three points as they beat Stuttgart 2-0 at RAMS Park. Aleksey Batrakov tied the game with two goals in a span of three minutes, scoring in the 12th and 15th minutes.Inter Milan beat Feyenoord 3-0, while LASK claimed a 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava. Meanwhile, Bodø/Glimt and Lille played out a goalless draw.