Manchester United conceded twice within the opening 20 minutes against AS Roma on Tuesday but turned things around in the second half to register another special Champions League comeback under the lights.
Bruno Fernandes kickstarted the comeback with his penalty, but it was the Matheus Cunha show that truly turned the game on its head.
The Brazilian won the initial penalty before going on to score both the equaliser and the winner, before being sent off.
While the former Wolverhampton Wanderers ace will rightly take all the plaudits, the return of Kobbie Mainoo into the midfield cannot be overlooked.
Kobbie Mainoo ran the show in the second half
The Carrington graduate did look rusty in the first half, like all his teammates, but the Englishman looked a class apart in the second 45 minutes.
He produced 15 passes into the final third, including a key pass, and attempted one shot, which was on target. The 21-year-old completed three dribbles and made as many progressive carries.
| Stat | K. Mainoo |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 90 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Shot accuracy % | 100.0% |
| Conversion % | 0.0% |
| Passes | 80 |
| Accurate passes | 67 |
| Pass accuracy % | 83.8% |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Dribbles attempted | 4 |
| Dribbles completed | 3 |
| Dribble success % | 75.0% |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Tackles + interceptions | 4 |
| Blocks | 0 |
| Duels | 12 |
| Duels won | 7 |
The England international was equally effective off the ball, pressing relentlessly and recovering the ball 12 times. The United No.37 worked his socks off as the team pressed from the front, a major change from what we saw earlier in the campaign.
He also won seven of his ground duels and completed one clearance and an interception (all stats via sofascore).
Why Kobbie Mainoo is so important
Without Kobbie Mainoo, the Red Devils have lacked swagger, and his ability to breeze past opposition midfielders while keeping hold of the ball under pressure was badly missed.
Unfortunately, his partnership with Carlos Baleba will remain short-lived for now following the Cameroonian’s injury.
The Stockport-born ace needs to keep the momentum up when United take on Aston Villa in the last game before the November international break.
A win there could potentially save Carrick’s job, but another low could spell the end of the head coach.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
