From the heavy defeats of 2007 and 2021 to a possible opportunity away from home now. Roma arrive for this Champions League clash in excellent form, while Manchester United are in the opposite state.
Tomorrow should be a dream night at a stadium that usually hands out football dreams freely. For Roma, though, Old Trafford has been the scene of two of their most painful European defeats: 7-1 in the second leg of the 2007 Champions League quarter-finals, and 6-2 in the first leg of the 2021 Europa League semi-finals. Both still sting Roma fans, and Gasperini hopes to ease that pain with a stellar performance from his side tomorrow night (here is our analysis of the key battles in Manchester).
The Situation
The paradox is that Roma, when they visit Manchester United tomorrow night, are seen as the favorites. When the draw was made on August 27 last year, no one would have considered this away trip an easy one. On the contrary, almost everyone viewed it as a tricky, difficult, almost impossible match. Since August, however, the pitch has given a completely different answer: Gasperini's Roma have been on a roll, while Carrick's Manchester United have been in decline. This is close to the worst version of Manchester United. One only needs to look at the Red Devils' meager 7 points after 9 rounds in the Premier League, level with Crystal Palace and only slightly above Nottingham Forest (6 points) and Sunderland (5 points). In the Champions League, the English side's performances have not been convincing either. Apart from an easy win over the modest Sabah, they went on to lose to Atletico Madrid and Como. In short, if there is ever a time to believe Roma can win at Old Trafford, it is now. Roma and Manchester United have met 8 times in European competition, and Roma's record is poor: 1 win (the 2-1 victory in the first leg of the 2007 quarter-finals), 2 draws and 5 defeats.
On the Pitch
Tomorrow night, Gasperini will try to rewrite this history. He came very close to winning at Old Trafford with Atalanta in the 2021/22 season, when Atalanta led 2-0 at one point but conceded to Ronaldo in the final 9 minutes and ultimately lost 3-2. Given their current form, this Roma side is unlikely to squander such a lead so easily. Roma will focus on possession tomorrow: their possession rate in this season's Champions League so far is 61.3%, second only to Barcelona's 65.4%. Manchester United, on the other hand, have allowed the third-highest number of opposition passes, 1781, behind only Slovan Bratislava (2026) and Feyenoord (1864). In short, Manchester United will give opponents space to play, and Gasperini knows exactly how to exploit that.
The Players
To win, the Roma coach will naturally pin his hopes on Malen tomorrow. The Dutch forward has not had much luck against the Red Devils in his previous encounters with Aston Villa, but he is in magnificent form, averaging nearly a goal per game with 10 goals in 11 appearances. In central midfield, De Roon and Cristante will partner each other. De Roon has faced Manchester United not only with Atalanta but also during his year at Middlesbrough. In defense, G. Mancini will return, and in goal Roma will rely on Gollini, the only player in this match with a past at the club. Gollini left Fiorentina at 16 to chase his dream at Old Trafford. He spent two years there, training alongside Giggs and Ferdinand, and played in the youth team with Rashford, Lingard and Pogba. Tomorrow will be no ordinary match for him either.