Champions League: Como thrash Man United 4-1, Bayern and Arsenal draw 2-2, Real Madrid hit Leipzig for four
Michael Carrick's United were torn apart in Italy as their winless run reached seven games, while Declan Rice rescued a point for Arsenal in Munich and Aston Villa stayed perfect.
At a glance
- Como beat Manchester United 4-1 in Italy; Nico Paz scored twice and United are now winless in seven games.
- Bayern Munich and Arsenal drew 2-2 at the Allianz Arena; Declan Rice equalised late after Harry Kane's penalty.
- Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1 and Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 to make it three wins from three.
- Galatasaray won 4-2 at Lille for their first league-phase win; Inter beat Shakhtar 1-0 despite Alessandro Bastoni's red card.
Manchester United suffered one of their heaviest European nights in years as Como beat them 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, while Bayern Munich and Arsenal shared a 2-2 draw in Munich and Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig 4-1. Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Real Betis all made it three wins from three in the league phase.
Matchday 3 results — Wednesday, October 21
| Match | Score | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Como v Manchester United | 4–1 | Paz 2', 57', Douvikas 49', Ramón 76' — Zirkzee 90+1' |
| Lille v Galatasaray | 2–4 | Diaoune 7', 39' — Akgün 2', Batrakov 44', Özer 52' (og), Osimhen 61' |
| Bayern Munich v Arsenal | 2–2 | Davies 35', Kane 61' (pen) — Eze 25', Rice 82' |
| Real Madrid v RB Leipzig | 4–1 | Bernardo Silva 44', Güler 52', Mbappé 83', late fourth 87' — Gomis 85' |
| Aston Villa v Viking | 3–1 | Barkley 23', Buendía 37' (pen), Heggheim 62' (og) — Christiansen 84' |
| Club Brugge v Lens | 3–0 | Vanaken 45+3', Seys 50', Forbs 72' |
| Inter v Shakhtar Donetsk | 1–0 | Carlos Augusto 77' |
| Real Betis v Feyenoord | 1–0 | Isco 59' (pen) |
| Sporting CP v LASK | 2–3 | Suárez 5' (pen), late consolation — Lang 15', Kalajdzic 63', Danek 68' |
Como 4-1 Manchester United: Carrick's side ripped apart
United were behind inside two minutes at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Diogo Dalot missed a close-range chance at one end and Nico Paz scored from close range at the other. Cesc Fàbregas's Como dominated possession, completing 594 passes — the most by any team against United in a Champions League match since Barcelona in 2019.
Michael Carrick changed things at half-time, bringing on Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba for Andrey Santos and Matheus Cunha, but the game got worse. Tasos Douvikas ran off Matthijs de Ligt to make it 2-0 on 49 minutes, Paz punished a careless turn by Baleba to score his second, and defender Jacobo Ramón headed in the fourth. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back in stoppage time.
The defeat leaves United on three points from three games and extends their winless run to seven matches in all competitions (three draws, four defeats) — their longest since late 2015. United are also the first English side to concede inside the opening two minutes of two consecutive major European games.
"I'm really angry, but you've got to move on and deal with what's next," Carrick said, adding that he "didn't like what I saw tonight".
Bayern 2-2 Arsenal: Rice rescues a point
Arsenal lost Bukayo Saka to an apparent muscle problem early in the first half in Munich, but his replacement Eberechi Eze gave them the lead on 25 minutes. Alphonso Davies levelled ten minutes later, and Harry Kane put Bayern ahead from the penalty spot just after the hour after his shot struck Jurrien Timber's arm. Declan Rice equalised late on to earn Arsenal a point at the Allianz Arena. Bayern had the better chances overall, but Arsenal had slightly more of the ball.
Saka's fitness will now be the main worry for Arsenal ahead of their weekend Premier League game.
Real Madrid, Villa and Betis stay perfect
Real Madrid were held until just before half-time, when Bernardo Silva tapped in a loose ball. Arda Güler made it 2-0 after the break and Kylian Mbappé added a third; Leipzig's Gomis replied before Madrid scored again late on for 4-1. Madrid face Barcelona in El Clásico this weekend.
Aston Villa beat Norway's Viking 3-1 with goals from Ross Barkley, an Emiliano Buendía penalty and an own goal, and Real Betis edged Feyenoord through an Isco penalty. All three clubs have nine points from three games.
Galatasaray scored three times in a 17-minute spell, with Victor Osimhen among the scorers, to win 4-2 at Lille — their first win of this league phase. Inter beat Shakhtar 1-0 through Carlos Augusto's late goal despite Alessandro Bastoni being sent off for two yellow cards. Austria's LASK caused the upset of the night with a 3-2 win at Sporting in Lisbon.
Background
This is the second season of the 36-team league format. Each club plays eight different opponents; the top eight go straight to the round of 16, teams placed 9th to 24th enter a play-off round, and the bottom 12 are eliminated. On Tuesday, Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 and Liverpool and Manchester City also won.
Why it matters
For United, the result deepens a crisis around Carrick's team and raises fresh questions about the squad. Como's win, by contrast, is another milestone for a club that was playing in Italy's lower divisions only a few years ago. Arsenal's draw keeps them in the hunt for a top-eight finish but Saka's injury could weigh on their season. For fans in Pakistan and South Asia, Wednesday's late games kicked off at midnight PKT.
What happens next
United host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday. Real Madrid play Barcelona in El Clásico at the weekend. Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase follows in the first week of November.
Questions people are asking
What was the score in Como vs Manchester United?
Como won 4-1 on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Nico Paz scored twice, with Tasos Douvikas and Jacobo Ramón also on target, before Joshua Zirkzee's stoppage-time consolation.
Who scored in Bayern vs Arsenal?
The match ended 2-2. Eberechi Eze put Arsenal ahead, Alphonso Davies equalised and Harry Kane scored a penalty for Bayern, before Declan Rice levelled late on.
When is the next Champions League matchday?
Matchday 4 of the league phase is played in the first week of November 2026, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Europe.
