In Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League league phase, Cesc Fàbregas guided Como to a 4-1 home victory over Manchester United. Following the match, Fàbregas revealed that he instructed his players to take their foot off the gas when leading 4-0.
In this clash, Nico Paz delivered two goals and an assist, while Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón also got on the scoresheet, giving Como a commanding 4-0 lead by the 76th minute. In the 80th minute, Fàbregas made a triple substitution. Manchester United pulled a goal back in the 91st minute through Joshua Zirkzee.
Fàbregas spoke post-match:
"I perhaps have a bit of regret over the final ten minutes, because it was me who told the team to slow the tempo down. We have another match coming up, and I felt that being 4-0 up, maybe we could manage and control the game a bit.
"I told Douvikas not to run anymore, to just stay central. That is something I genuinely regret, because normally I am the first person demanding everyone fight right until the final whistle.
"Conceding that goal really hurt me. We dropped our intensity and our defensive shape dropped deeper, but that was my responsibility. It is a lesson I need to take from this match; that conceded goal genuinely bothered me.
"However, apart from that, I think the players did brilliantly, and everyone knew just how desperate they were to win. What delighted me the most was that exact mentality.
"Along with their ability to find huge pockets of space on the pitch, which is something we tried to work on both yesterday and today. I think the squad played an exceptional match. But as I said, there is another fixture right around the corner, and on Saturday we will see what level this team can produce."
