Matheus Cunha avoids UEFA sanction for not going straight down tunnel after red

Manchester United's Matheus Cunha will avoid UEFA punishment. Pic: Martin Rickett/Press Association.

Matheus Cunha will avoid UEFA punishment for failing to go straight to the dressing room following his late red card in Manchester United’s Champions League win against Roma.

Michael Carrick’s Red Devils roared to a much-needed 3-2 comeback victory on Tuesday, when the Brazil international earned a penalty which was converted at the second attempt by Bruno Fernandes.

Cunha equalised and then scored a dramatic late winner, with the United forward earning a booking having taken off his shirt in celebration and jumped into the Old Trafford crowd.

A second yellow card soon followed for a poor challenge, with the ex-Wolves man then trying to watch the remainder of stoppage time before celebrating with team-mates, when rules state he should have left the field area.

United boss Carrick pointed him towards the tunnel and UEFA has confirmed Cunha will serve just the one-match ban at Sporting Lisbon later this month rather than anything more severe.

A spokesperson for the governing body said: “The UEFA official reports did not mention anything about this incident.

“Therefore the automatic one-match ban following two yellow cards should not be extended for this reason. We are not investigating further this matter.” 

United livewire Cunha became the first player in Champions League history to win a penalty, score a goal and be sent off in the same match.

Head coach Carrick said: “Matheus can do those things, he has those moments.

“We put him inside, we swapped him with Bryan (Mbeumo) at half-time to try to get him in the middle of the pitch, to try to give us a little bit of a different shape, putting him in the centre of the pitch.

“He found himself in good positions. Disappointed with how it finished but, again, it just shows how much he cares and he’s willing to do, when he’s in that frame of mind and he’s in that mood, that’s why we want him here.”