Cristante: Roma ‘must improve’ but Man United penalty ‘very doubtful’

Cristante: Roma ‘must improve’ but Man United penalty ‘very doubtful’ Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante insists the Giallorossi must ‘learn and improve’ after suffering another comeback defeat, but feels the penalty awarded to Manchester United was ‘very doubtful.’ The Giallorossi wasted a two-goal lead at Old Trafford on Tuesday. They went 2-0 in the first 18 minutes, but conceded three times after the break, eventually falling to a 3-2 loss. “We played great in the first half. We could have scored more than two goals, but obviously, the opponents are strong, too. Sometimes, when they push, it’s hard to contain them. Surely we had to do more, especially since we had already been there,” Cristante told Sky Sport Italia. ISTANBUL, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 10: Bryan Cristante of AS Roma celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammate Mario Hermoso during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Fenerbahce SK and AS Roma at Fenerbahce Sükrü Saracoglu Spor Kompleksi on September 10, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) It was their second defeat across all competitions this season. The previous one had come in a similar fashion in a home Champions League match against Real Madrid in October. Even then, Roma wasted a two-goal lead, and the Merengues scored three goals in the dying minutes to secure a 4-3 victory at the Stadio Olimpico. Manchester United bounced back early in the second half when Gianluca Mancini fouled Matheus Cunha, earning a penalty kick. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 03: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United has his penalty saved by Devis Stiven Vasquez Llach of AS Roma during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between Manchester United and AS Roma at Old Trafford on November 03, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) “I didn’t see the penalty [replay], but from the field it seemed very doubtful to me,” Cristante said. “When they are pumped up, they get really strong, so it’s hard to limit them. We have to look at it carefully and understand what we are getting wrong because it’s happening too frequently.” The reporter suggested that one of Roma’s weaknesses might be their tendency to become less effective when they try to lower the game’s intensity. “It could be. Surely we must be more focused at the back, as a full team,” Cristante argued. NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 24: Rasmus Hojlund of SSC Napoli battles for possession with Bryan Cristante of AS Roma during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 24, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) “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. “The first half in a stadium like this, against a strong team, is a positive thing,” the Italian midfielder concluded. “They are not at their best, but they have strong players. We must learn that not everything is positive. We know we must improve in this. We’ll work on this and try to understand what we are getting wrong.”