Manchester United’s Champions League campaign reaches a tipping point on Tuesday 3 November 2026, when AS Roma visit Old Trafford. United are 20th in the league phase with three points from three games; Roma are 15th with four. With only the top 24 surviving, this is close to a must-win for Michael Carrick’s side. Here is our full Man Utd vs Roma preview.
Match Information
- Match: Manchester United vs AS Roma, Champions League league phase (Matchday 4)
- Date: Tuesday 3 November 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 UK time (01:00 Pakistan time, Wednesday)
- Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
- United’s league phase so far: Sabah 4-0 (W), Atletico Madrid 0-2 (L), Como 1-4 (L)
- Roma’s league phase so far: Fenerbahce 1-1 (D), Real Madrid 3-4 (L), plus a Matchday 3 win
Why This Game Is Huge
United’s European season has collapsed after the perfect start against Sabah. Defeats in Madrid and Como mean another loss here would leave them needing snookers to reach the play-off round. Roma, meanwhile, arrive as one of Italy’s form teams: Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are unbeaten in Serie A, sitting third with 18 points from eight games (five wins, three draws, only six goals conceded). They also led Real Madrid 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico before an extraordinary late collapse — a warning of how dangerous, and how vulnerable, they can be.
Team News: Manchester United
The injury picture is unchanged and grim — full details are on our injury news page. Benjamin Sesko, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte are all expected to miss out again. Kobbie Mainoo is the one possible return: if he makes the bench at Chelsea on Saturday, three more days of training could put him in contention for minutes here. Leny Yoro is available for Europe — his red card in Madrid was served in the Como match.
Team News: Roma
Gasperini’s Roma are built on the coach’s trademark back three and relentless pressing. Matias Soule and young midfielder Niccolo Pisilli have been central to their start, while Santiago Castro has led the line. Paulo Dybala and goalkeeper Mile Svilar have both had injury problems in recent weeks — Svilar deputised by Pierluigi Gollini — and their availability will be the biggest Roma team-news question. One stat should worry United: Roma are unbeaten in six straight away matches, and they have scored two or more goals in each of their last four games.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs Roma
This is a prediction, not the confirmed team — the official XI comes one hour before kick-off.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez; Diogo Dalot, Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, Amad Diallo; Bruno Fernandes (c), Matheus Cunha; Bryan Mbeumo.
Much depends on what happens at Chelsea three days earlier: a kind result there would let Carrick name his strongest side; another bad one, and the pressure to rotate — or to gamble on Mainoo — grows.
Key Battles
- United’s press vs Roma’s build-up: Gasperini’s teams play through pressure. If Fernandes and Cunha jump at the right moments, Old Trafford will smell blood.
- Set pieces: Roma scored and conceded from corners against Real Madrid; United conceded the opener to Bournemouth from a free-kick. Both boxes will be battlegrounds.
- The first goal: Roma have made a habit of fast starts; United have not kept a clean sheet in eight matches. The opening 20 minutes could decide the night.
Prediction
Roma are the better side on current form, but Old Trafford on a European night, with United’s season effectively on the line, is a different test. Expect chances at both ends — neither defence convinces — and expect United’s need to tell in the end.
Our prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Roma.
Before Tuesday, United travel to Chelsea in the league — read our Chelsea vs Man Utd preview for the full picture, and check the full fixture list for the brutal run of games that follows, starting with Aston Villa at home on 7 November.
