According to a report by BBC Sports on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Manchester United suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Como in the UEFA Champions League, a result that dealt another blow to their campaign and affected their position in the league-phase standings. 

Manchester United entered the third matchday hoping to recover from their previous 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid. However, Michael Carrick's men produced another disappointing performance as Como secured an emphatic victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

Nico Paz opened the scoring in the second minute before Anastasios Douvikas doubled Como's advantage shortly after halftime. Paz scored his second goal in the 57th minute, while Jacobo Ramon added another in the 76th minute to complete the 4-1 victory. 

The defeat left Manchester United with three points from their opening three Champions League matches, having previously defeated Sabah 4-0 before losing to Atletico Madrid and Como.

Como, meanwhile, moved to six points from three matches. The Italian side had previously defeated RB Leipzig 4-1 before losing 3-2 to Feyenoord. Their victory over Manchester United strengthened their position in the race for a place in the knockout rounds.

Paris Saint-Germain remained among the leading teams after defeating Barcelona 4-2, while Liverpool strengthened their position with a 4-3 victory over Villarreal. Manchester City also collected three points after beating AEK Athens 5-1. 

The Champions League league phase features 36 clubs competing in a single table. The eight highest-ranked teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while clubs finishing between ninth and 24th enter the knockout play-offs. Teams in positions 25 to 36 are eliminated. 

For Manchester United, the heavy defeat raised serious concerns about their defensive organisation and their ability to compete against Europe's leading teams. Carrick's players will need to improve considerably in their remaining fixtures if they hope to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

Manchester United's position after the defeat

Manchester United have three points from three matches, with one victory and two defeats. Their goal difference has fallen to minus two following the four goals conceded against Como.

Como have six points from three matches and a positive goal difference of two.

The standings remain important because Manchester United still have five league-phase matches to play, giving them an opportunity to recover. However, another poor result could make qualification increasingly difficult.