ROME: Manchester United are hardly putting up a fight in the Champions League these days.
Michael Carrick’s struggling team were beaten 4-1 at competition newcomer Como on Wednesday and United have now been outscored 6-1 in their last two European matches.
Nico Paz scored twice and also set up another score for Cesc Fabregas’ Como, which were playing in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago.
In the other early game, Galatasaray won 4-2 at Lille with Victor Osimhen scoring against one of his former clubs.
Nico Paz puts on a show
Paz has been auditioning to take over Lionel Messi’s playmaker spot with Argentina and his performance against United was a case in point.
At the tiny 10,000-seat Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium, Paz put Como ahead two minutes in with a curling shot from the edge of the area when Harry Maguire allowed him some space.
United became the first English team to concede in the opening two minutes of consecutive major European matches after Pablo Barrios scored in the opening minute of Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 win last week.
Tasos Douvikas then took a pass from Paz before lobbing in over goalkeeper Senne Lammens for his third goal in three Champions League matches.
For Como’s third, Paz went in virtually uncontested before shooting around Lammens. Center back Jacobo Ramon scored Como’s fourth.
Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back for United in the stoppage time.
United have won only one of their last 11 Champions League away matches.
Como moved up to sixth in the standings, while United dropped to 20th.
Galatasaray overcome Diaoune’s double
In France, 19-year-old Soriba Diaoune scored twice for Lille in the first half but it was 2-2 at the break before an own goal and a strike from Osimhen put Galatasaray in control.
It was Galatasaray’s first win of this season’s competition, while Lille have now lost all three of their matches.