Bruno Fernandes questions Manchester United’s pressing after 4-1 defeat at Como

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes questioned his team’s pressing after Como beat United 4-1 in the Champions League at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como, Italy, on 21 October 2026. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said the coaching staff had chosen against pressing man-to-man and suggested that giving Como space had helped the home side grow in confidence, according to NBC Sports.

‘It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them,’ Fernandes told TNT Sports, as reported by NBC Sports. ‘But sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence.’ United conceded inside two minutes and were four goals down before scoring in stoppage time.

Fernandes on Carrick’s pressing decision

Fernandes also criticised United’s start. ‘Not much pressure on the ball, not many good movements with the ball, not many things going our way,’ he told TNT Sports, according to NBC Sports. He said conceding early put the team in a ‘mood of defeat’. Fernandes added that a side playing through the middle with short passing combinations could hurt opponents out wide if given too much time and space.

How Como built its 4-1 win

Nico Paz opened the scoring inside two minutes with a curling shot from the edge of the box. Reuters reported that he scored twice and assisted another goal. Shortly after half-time, Paz played Anastasios Douvikas through the United defence, and Douvikas finished past the advancing goalkeeper to double Como’s lead.

Paz then won the ball from Carlos Baleba, carried it forward and scored Como’s third, according to Reuters. In the 76th minute, substitute Kaiki Bruno crossed from the left for centre-back Jacobo Ramon to head in the fourth. Joshua Zirkzee scored United’s stoppage-time goal from an Amad Diallo cross.