Bryan Cristante demands answers after Roma’s collapse

Bryan Cristante questioned Roma’s second-half collapse against Manchester United, in a match that ended in a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford. The Italian midfielder said his team must examine how it allowed its opponent to overturn a two-goal deficit.

Roma had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half of the Champions League encounter, with Matías Soulé and Donyell Malen scoring. Following halftime, Bruno Fernandes brought United closer with a converted penalty, and Matheus Cunha's two goals then sealed the comeback.

Cristante acknowledged that Roma had controlled the opening period, but said the opposition’s response exposed weaknesses in his side. “We came into the game well and had a tremendous first half, but there are opponents as well. They are strong and, when they push forward, they can hurt us. We needed to do something more,” he told Sky Sport.

The midfielder also considered the penalty very generous and stressed the need to review the match to understand where the team went wrong. He pointed to a need for greater defensive concentration and suggested Roma could have dropped deeper to protect its lead, without allowing chances to be conceded. Roma also found it difficult to keep possession when Manchester United increased the pressure. “We were not able to get some breathing space with the ball in their half, and that certainly took its toll over time,” he said, describing it as a combination of factors.

Roma had also surrendered a two-goal advantage in its previous meeting with Real Madrid. Cristante said the team’s concentration must improve, especially when protecting a lead. He nevertheless believes there are positives to take from the first half: “We have to take the positives. It was a tremendous first half against a strong team. We need to learn, work and improve, and understand where we went wrong so that we do not make the same mistakes again.”

In the Premier League standings presented, Manchester United are 17th with 7 points after 9 matches. Their record is one win, four draws and four defeats, with 10 goals scored and 15 conceded. Across their last five league matches, they have three draws and two defeats, with no wins.