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Como
Manchester UnitedManchester United need a win. Badly. Six games without a victory in all competitions, sat 13th in the Premier League, and now heading to Italy for a Champions League fixture that suddenly feels like it carries a lot more weight than it probably should at this stage of the competition. The question hanging over this one is simple: can Carrick’s side finally turn a decent performance into three points, or will Como add another name to the list of sides that have frustrated United this season?
This preview breaks down the team news, the form, the head to head context and the betting angles worth considering for what shapes up as a genuinely interesting European night in northern Italy.
This Champions League league stage fixture takes place at Como’s home ground in Italy, with both clubs sitting on three points from their opening two games of the 2026-27 competition. Como sit 12th in the league stage table, United 13th, so there is genuine pressure on both sides to get something from this one. For Como, it is a historic occasion too. They have never faced English opposition before in European competition, making this a landmark night for the Blue and Whites in just their first ever Champions League campaign.
Both managers have selection concerns to navigate before a ball is kicked, and United’s injury list in particular is starting to look worrying.
For Como:
For Manchester United:
The situation at the back for United is particularly concerning. If Martinez, Shaw and Heaven all miss out, Carrick is going to be piecing together a makeshift defensive unit for a European away game. That is not a comfortable thought.
Cesc Fabregas has a fairly clear picture of his first eleven, with Anastasios Douvikas leading the line having been in superb form this season. Martin Baturina and Nico Paz are expected to start, with Jacobo Ramon likely to slot in centrally at the back. Whether Chalobah is fit enough to partner him remains to be seen, but Fabregas will be hoping to have him available.
Como possible lineup: Butez; Couto, Chalobah, Ramon, Valle; Milla, Da Cunha; J Rodriguez, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas
Carrick’s hand is somewhat forced. Noussair Mazraoui looks set to come in for the suspended Yoro, which may be the only change from the side that drew with Leeds. Bryan Mbeumo continues through the middle. If Martinez is ruled out, the back line becomes a real headache. Bruno Fernandes will need to be at his scheming best if United are going to create enough on the road.
Manchester United possible lineup: Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Santos, Baleba; Amad, Tielemans, Fernandes; Mbeumo
United’s form makes for grim reading. Six games without a win across all competitions, drawing three of their last four. There is a sliver of encouragement in that their performances have reportedly been better than the results suggest, but football is a results business and Carrick is under real pressure. The 1-1 draw with Leeds in the Premier League was the latest frustration, and seven points from seven league games has left them 13th. For a club of United’s stature and resources, that is well below the standard expected.
In the Champions League specifically, United started brightly enough with a 4-0 win over Sabah, but then lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid last week. Two games, six goals scored and conceded, three points on the board. The competition is wide open in the league stage format, but United cannot afford to keep dropping points against sides they are expected to match.
Como, on the other hand, are building nicely. A 4-1 opening night hammering of RB Leipzig was a statement from Fabregas’s side, though they came back to earth with a 3-2 defeat to Feyenoord in their second group game. Domestically they are flying, though, sitting fifth in Serie A with 14 points from seven games, including a 3-1 win over Fiorentina last time out. They are no soft touch, and on home soil they will fancy themselves to cause United problems.
There is no head to head history to draw on here at all, which is actually part of what makes this fixture so interesting. Como have never faced English opposition in European competition, so Wednesday night writes itself into the club’s history books regardless of the result.
What we can look at is United’s broader record against Italian clubs, and it is a strong one. In their last 16 matches against Serie A opposition, United have lost just two, with 10 wins from those games. That is a genuinely impressive record and it gives the Red Devils a solid platform of confidence to draw from, even if their current form suggests they are a long way from their best.
United are overdue a win, and their record against Italian clubs is genuinely hard to ignore. But they are travelling away from home, carrying a lengthy injury list, and facing a Como side that are in solid domestic form and have already shown they can bang goals in at this level. There is value in approaching this one carefully rather than piling in on United to run away with it.
United’s quality in the final third should edge it, but Como will get on the scoresheet. A 2-1 United win feels about right, tight enough to reflect the difficulty of the fixture but rewarding United’s superior European pedigree on the night.
Both sides have been involved in matches with plenty of goals in this competition. Como put four past Leipzig, United hit four against Sabah, and even the defeats have seen goals fly in. Over 2.5 goals looks well worth backing here, with both sides capable of finding the net.
Anastasios Douvikas is the name to be on. Five goals in nine games this season, leading the line for a Como side that are full of confidence on home soil. He is a physical, intelligent centre forward who will relish the occasion, and at likely generous odds against a United backline that could be badly depleted, he is worth a punt to open the scoring.
Yes, back BTTS. United’s defensive injury situation is a genuine concern, and Como have enough quality up front and in the pockets behind the striker to find a way through. United should score too given their European record against Italian sides, so goals at both ends is the call here.
European away fixtures with genuine pressure on the visiting side tend to produce a few bookings, and United’s midfield will be working hard without Ugarte pulling the strings. Expect some feisty moments in the middle of the pitch, and over 3.5 cards looks a reasonable shout for a competitive fixture with plenty at stake for both camps.
With Como pressing on home turf and United likely to defend at times on the road, the conditions are right for a decent number of corners. Over 9.5 corners is the call, with both sides capable of winning territory in wide areas and forcing the opposition back towards their own goal line.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Both Teams To Score | Yes |
| Over 2.5 Goals | Over |
| First Goalscorer | Anastasios Douvikas |
If Douvikas gets the opening goal in a game that finishes with goals at both ends and three or more in total, all three legs land together nicely and this bet builder pays out at a rewarding price.
United are due. Six games without a win is a run that has to end somewhere, and their record against Italian opposition across the years gives genuine cause for optimism even with the injury problems mounting up. Carrick’s side have been performing better than results suggest, and a European away fixture against a side also on three points feels like exactly the kind of game where a wounded United can find something.
Como are a proper football team with a fascinating, technically gifted group of players built in Fabregas’s image, and they will make United work for it. But the class and experience that United can call on in the wide and central areas should prove the difference. Final prediction: Como 1-2 Manchester United.