📅 October 21, 2026
Como 1-0 Man Utd at Half-Time: Behind Inside Two Minutes Again, and It’s a Record
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It’s happened again. Nico Paz curled Como ahead in the second minute, and United go in at half-time 1-0 down in Italy. Eight days ago Atlético Madrid scored inside the first minute. According to Opta, that makes United the first English team to concede within the opening two minutes of consecutive major European matches.
Goal reported the Opta figure, theScore carried it, and the BBC’s Match of the Day account posted it during the first half. It’s a record nobody at the club will want.
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The goal
United actually had the first effort. Diogo Dalot cut in from the right and shot wide with his left foot. Moments later Paz, Como’s ten, bent a left-footed shot into the corner. Goal’s report says he had “far too much room on the edge of the area.”
He’s the player we picked out before kick-off as the matchup to watch, with Mason Mount and Andrey Santos the pair asked to pick him up. That pair hadn’t settled when he scored.
Madrid, then Como
In the 2-0 defeat to Atlético, Álex Baena squared for Pablo Barrios, whose low shot went in off a deflection inside the first minute. United spent the rest of that night chasing the game and finished it with ten men.
The back four is different this time. Leny Yoro is suspended, Ayden Heaven is ill and Lisandro Martínez didn’t travel, so Matthijs de Ligt is making his first start since 30 November 2025 next to Harry Maguire. In Madrid the back four was Dalot, Yoro, Martínez and Heaven. Dalot is the only defender who started both games, with Senne Lammens in goal for both. So the slow starts aren’t down to a single partnership.
The Premier League game in between went differently. At Elland Road on Sunday, United scored first through Bryan Mbeumo and Leeds equalised after the break.
The rest of the half
Como had most of the ball. Football Italia’s live blog said Como “will worry they are only 1-0 up after dominating so comprehensively.” Lammens is the reason it’s only one. He saved from Tasos Douvikas at his near post after a Martin Baturina through ball, and he got down to a Baturina shot from distance before the break. Douvikas also put a half-volley wide.
United’s best moment was a Maguire header from Mbeumo’s cross after a corner, which went wide. Matheus Cunha shot over just before half-time. Santos was booked for a foul on Paz.
Michael Carrick needs a response in the second half. Full report after the whistle, and the table will be updated tonight.
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Sources: The record from Opta via Goal, theScore and BBC Match of the Day’s post as embedded in Football Italia’s live blog. The goal’s minute and the left-footed finish from ESPN’s match data, Goal, VAVEL and Football Italia. First-half chances and the booking from ESPN’s commentary, cross-checked against Football Italia and VAVEL. Barrios’s goal from Opta Analyst and our match report. Accurate at half-time.