Manchester United v AS Roma - UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD4
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Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot spoke after the comeback victory over Roma, reflecting on a dramatic night.
A nightmare opening 20 minutes for Manchester United had fans fearing another big Champions League defeat. At 2-0 down, the players looked devoid of confidence and appeared to be getting more and more frustrated.
United improved in the second half and won the game 3-2, with two goals from Matheus Cunha after a penalty from Bruno Fernandes. It was another memorable Old Trafford performance against Roma to add to the history books.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the game, defender Diogo Dalot admitted that the players’ lack of confidence was making everything tougher. He admitted that they had not been handling setbacks well.
Dalot said: “We’re getting disappointed too quickly. Every moment in the game where things don’t go the way we want, we let ourselves down a little bit.
“That’s the momentum we need to change.”
This season Manchester United have conceded the opening goal in eight different games, and have gone on to lose six. The team came back to win two, against Ipswich Town (5-2 win) and vs Roma 3-2.
The team lost against Hull City, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Como, Bournemouth, and Chelsea after conceding the opener, showing a lack of resilience, backing up Dalot’s comments.
Dalot admits tough time for players
At a club of Manchester United’s size, there is always huge pressure on the players, and with the losses stacking up, the pressure has been increasing.
Dalot admitted that it has not been easy to deal with, commenting: “These moments are really tough. I’m not going to lie. Unfortunately I’ve had a few moments like this in the past and the only way of us getting out is winning football games.
Discussing the victory, he says he hopes that it shows the fans what they are capable of, which can feed a positive cycle rather than the previous negative one.
“I think that’s the only way you can get confidence and nights like this make you believe that you can create these moments not just for us but for the fans and it’s important for everyone around the club to feel that we care, that we that we want to turn this around, and I think we’ve showed it especially in the second half.”
Dalot says lesson learned
Diogo Dalot explained how United’s players responded to their shortcomings in the first half and came out with a new attitude after half-time.
He explained: “We had nothing more to lose, so we just had to really go at it. In the first five or ten minutes, we were winning duels and playing on the front foot. The crowd was with us. When you create that energy inside a stadium like this, it’s really tough for the opponents to even create a chance.”
Dalot said that United’s players must use this night as a learning experience for the rest of the season.
He said: “The biggest thing that we need to get out of this game is: when we play like this, when we have the right attitude, when the fans really believe that we are there, we can be a very strong team.”