Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha achieved a first in the Champions League following his heroics in the comeback against AS Roma.
Cunha saves United
Cunha was the hero of the day as United recovered from a two-goal deficit to stun Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
United found themselves staring down the barrel of another disastrous defeat as Roma scored twice inside 17 minutes.
MatĂas SoulĂ© and Donyell Malen both took advantage of some pitiful defending to give Roma a commanding lead. However, United pulled one back at the hour mark through Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese playmaker converted from the penalty spot, having missed his initial attempt but being afforded a second bite of the cherry owing to an encroachment offence.
Buoyed by the home fans, United pushed and finally drew level in the 83rd minute when Cunha pounced on a Leonardo Balerdi missed clearance to score. Three minutes later, Cunha smashed home the winner, completing one of the great European comebacks.
In comments to reporters after the final whistle, Cunha stated that experiencing such a thrill at United was a dream.
Diogo Dalot also expressed hope that the comeback would mark a turning point for himself and his teammates as they look to kick on for the season.
| Stat | Premier League | UEFA Champions League | League Cup | All competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Premier League | UEFA Champions League | League Cup | All competitions |
| Apps | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 |
| Minutes | 616 | 235 | 10 | 861 |
| Starts | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Sub appearances | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Goals | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Non-penalty goals | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Goals + assists | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Minutes per goal | 616 | 78 | – | 215 |
| xG (PL) | 1.36 | – | – | 1.36 |
| xA (PL) | 1.06 | – | – | 1.06 |
| xG + xA (PL) | 2.42 | – | – | 2.42 |
| Avg rating | 6.54 | 7.36 | 6.52 | 6.77 |
| Shots | 13 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
| Shots on target | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Shot accuracy % | 46.2% | 70.0% | – | 56.5% |
| Conversion % | 7.7% | 30.0% | – | 17.4% |
| Passes | 228 | 104 | 6 | 338 |
| Accurate passes | 191 | 81 | 6 | 278 |
| Stat | Premier League | UEFA Champions League | League Cup | All competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass accuracy % | 83.8% | 77.9% | 100.0% | 82.2% |
| Key passes | 11 | 3 | 1 | 15 |
| Dribbles attempted | 13 | 9 | 2 | 24 |
| Dribbles completed | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| Dribble success % | 38.5% | 55.6% | 100.0% | 50.0% |
| Tackles | 12 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Tackles + interceptions | 15 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
| Blocks | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Duels | 76 | 35 | 2 | 113 |
| Duels won | 32 | 18 | 2 | 52 |
| Duels won % | 42.1% | 51.4% | 100.0% | 46.0% |
| Dribbled past | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Fouls won | 13 | 6 | 0 | 19 |
| Fouls committed | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 |
| Offsides | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties won | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties conceded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cunha makes history
According to statisticians OptaJoe, Cunha’s rollercoaster game against Roma was a very unique one.
The Brazilian became the first player in UEFA Champions League history to win a penalty, score a goal, and be sent off in the same match.
1 – Last night, Matheus Cunha became the first player in UEFA Champions League history to win a penalty, score a goal and be sent off in the same match.
Rollercoaster. https://t.co/xoJrQhNydw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 4, 2026
Cunha was, of course, given his marching orders in the closing stages of the game for a second bookable offence after needlessly fouling Balerdi.
No further punishment will be forthcoming for his remaining on the pitch after the final whistle despite his dismissal, it has since emerged.
Brazilian player to play for United.
Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images
