Bryan Cristante slams ‘very doubtful’ Man Utd penalty as Roma suffer another Champions League collapse
Bryan Cristante has expressed his frustration over a controversial penalty decision after AS Roma surrendered a two-goal lead to lose against Manchester United. The Italian midfielder urged his team-mates to fix their defensive frailties following another dramatic collapse at Old Trafford.
Roma surrender lead at Old Trafford
Cristante has demanded immediate improvement from his team-mates after a dramatic 3-2 defeat against United. The Italian side threw away a commanding two-goal advantage at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
The visitors raced into a 2-0 lead within the opening 18 minutes of the contest. However, they suffered a severe second-half collapse, conceding three times to leave England with nothing. Gianluca Mancini conceded a crucial penalty early in the second half after fouling Matheus Cunha. This decision provided the hosts with a lifeline that completely shifted the momentum of the match.
Cristante questions doubtful penalty decision
Cristante was visibly frustrated by the penalty award that sparked the comeback. The midfielder felt the referee made a harsh call against Mancini.
"I didn’t see the penalty replay, but from the field it seemed very doubtful to me," Cristante told Sky Sport Italia. "When they are pumped up, they get really strong, so it’s hard to limit them."
Despite his frustration with the officiating, Cristante acknowledged Roma's role in their own downfall, saying: "We played great in the first half. We could have scored more than two goals, but obviously, the opponents are strong, too."
Roma struggle to manage high-pressure situations
This is not the first time Roma have collapsed from a winning position this season. They previously wasted a two-goal advantage during a 4-3 home defeat to Real Madrid in October. Cristante admitted that dropping deep to protect a lead is currently a major weakness for the team.
"It could be. Surely we must be more focused at the back, as a full team," he argued. "We were leading 2-0 today. Sometimes you can drop deep and manage the game, leave the ball to the others, but without conceding goals. We have to look at it carefully and understand what we are getting wrong because it’s happening too frequently."
Turning positives into consistent results
The Italian side must now regroup and address their defensive fragility ahead of their upcoming fixtures. Roma will return to the training pitch to ensure these costly second-half capitulations do not define their season.
