Old Trafford went from boos to bedlam on Tuesday night as Manchester United climbed off the canvas to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice in three minutes, taking his shirt off, and then getting himself sent off before the drama was done.

United fans who switched off at half-time will need to watch the highlights twice. Michael Carrick's side trailed 2-0 inside 18 minutes, were booed off at the break and looked set for another painful night, before a second-half revival ended a nine-match winless run and handed them a first victory in 54 days.

A nightmare start

Roma, unbeaten in Serie A, tore into a disjointed United from the first whistle. Matias Soule opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and Donyell Malen doubled the lead from the penalty spot seven minutes later.

Carrick had made two changes from Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, bringing in Kobbie Mainoo and Ayden Heaven, with Andrey Santos and Lisandro Martinez dropping to the bench. It did not look like working. Sky Sports described the manager as looking "on the brink" as his team were undone for the opener.

Things got worse early in the second half when midfielder Carlos Baleba limped off with a hamstring problem.

Fernandes, the posts, and a Roma wobble

The turning point came in the 58th minute. Cunha won a penalty and captain Bruno Fernandes stepped up. His first effort was saved, but the referee ordered a retake for encroachment and Fernandes made no mistake the second time.

The noise inside Old Trafford rose immediately. Bryan Mbeumo then rounded the goalkeeper and somehow hit both posts with the same shot, Roma cleared another effort off the line, and United had two more penalty appeals waved away as the Italians began to wobble.

Three crazy minutes from Cunha

Roma finally cracked in the 83rd minute. Defender Leonardo Balerdi made a poor clearance and Cunha pounced to slot home the equaliser.

Three minutes later, substitute Shea Lacey found the Brazilian on the right of the box and Cunha drove a stunning near-post finish past goalkeeper Devis Vasquez to complete the comeback. He celebrated by whipping off his shirt, which earned him a yellow card.

That proved costly. In the first minute of added time, Cunha clattered into Balerdi for a second booking and was sent off, leaving United to survive a nervy finish with ten men. They held on.

What it means for Carrick

The win buys Carrick some breathing space after a run that had put his job under heavy scrutiny, including a 4-1 hammering at Como in United's previous Champions League game. Instead of leaving to jeers, he walked off to applause.

  • Final score: Manchester United 3-2 Roma (Champions League, Old Trafford)
  • United scorers: Bruno Fernandes (pen, 58'), Matheus Cunha (83', 86')
  • Roma scorers: Matias Soule (11'), Donyell Malen (pen, 18')
  • Red card: Matheus Cunha (second yellow, 90+1')
  • Next up: Manchester United host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday

United go into the Villa match with real belief for the first time in weeks. Cunha's red card means he is expected to miss United's next Champions League game, and the club is sweating on Baleba's fitness.

Photos: Sky Sports; dave.sport. Sources: Sky Sports, dave.sport. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.