Roma's coach reveals reasons for the loss to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League UCL.
The Roma coach admitted they could not withstand Manchester United's attack before suffering a painful comeback defeat in the UCL.
Gian Piero Gasperini, coach of the "Giallorossi" Roma, admitted his team could not resist the attacking force of "the Red Devils" Manchester United in the second half, eventually losing 2-3 despite holding a two-goal lead in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase last night.
At Old Trafford, Roma started well, taking a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Matías Süle and a penalty by Donyell Malen. However, the second half was a completely different story. Manchester United came out energized, scoring three consecutive goals—Bruno Fernandes from a penalty and Matheus Cunha with two late goals—securing their first victory in 10 matches across all competitions.
Gasperini said, "After the penalty, Manchester United's confidence clearly increased. We no longer had enough strength to pressure their attack as we did in the first half. Coupled with the penalty and mistakes that allowed them to equalize, the situation completely turned around."
"There will always be a 15-20 minute period in matches against Manchester United when you're under intense pressure. If you can get through it without damage, you will do well."
"They changed their tactics at halftime, playing with nothing to lose and attacking heavily. We did not cope well enough. We should have tried harder to disrupt them with more tackles and slow down their rhythm. We must handle these situations better in the future."
"There is disappointment seeing victory slip away again. We need the team to reduce their own pressure during matches. Therefore, this game will teach us more than others."