COMO, Italy — Nico Paz scored twice and set up another as Como beat Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, extending United's winless run to seven matches and increasing the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

According to ESPN, the defeat at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia was the first time in 33 years that United had conceded four goals in a European match. United have three points from their first three games in the league phase and sit 21st in the 36-team table.

Paz opened the scoring inside two minutes. Harry Maguire allowed him too much space, and the Argentine moved the ball onto his left foot and placed it into the top corner. Sky Sports said United became the first English side to concede within the opening two minutes of consecutive major European matches.

United had threatened first. Diogo Dalot shot narrowly wide of the far post in the second minute, but the visitors did not manage a shot on target before half-time, beIN Sports reported.

At half-time Carrick replaced Andrey Santos and Matheus Cunha with Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba. Within four minutes Como had doubled their lead. Paz played Tasos Douvikas through, and the Greek striker escaped Matthijs de Ligt to score.

De Ligt was making his first start in 325 days after back problems, according to Sky Sports, and beIN Sports said he replaced the suspended Leny Yoro. ESPN said United were without nine players in total, and Como were also short of several players through injury.

Paz made it 3-0 in the 57th minute, taking the ball from Baleba in United's half and running through to score. Centre-back Jacobo Ramon then headed in unmarked from a cross with 14 minutes left. Lammens denied Paz a hat-trick with a diving save, and substitute Joshua Zirkzee scored a consolation in stoppage time.

Carrick apologised to supporters and said he was angry with what he had seen. "I'm really angry but you've got to move on and deal with what's next," he told Sky Sports.

"I want to apologize to the supporters," he said, according to ESPN. "It's not acceptable. It wasn't a good performance at all."

Asked whether his players gave as much as he did, Carrick replied: "I'd like to think so. I didn't like what I saw tonight though."

Bruno Fernandes pointed in a television interview to what he described as "a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind." Carrick rejected that line of argument. "Whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don't run, and you don't run forward, and you don't run back, you're not going to win," he said, as reported by ESPN.

Midfielder Youri Tielemans called the display a "non-performance", ESPN reported. Sky Sports said Fernandes has been involved in only one goal in his last nine appearances.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said United's struggles were no surprise. "They've got to start winning matches," he said. "I don't see it as a shock."

Sky Sports News reporter Danyal Khan, who was in Como, said the result had made Carrick's position more precarious. "Let's not sugar coat it – this is one of their worst ever results in Europe," he said. "Ultimately there's a lot more pressure on Carrick and his position at Manchester United."

Carrick is 11 games into his permanent spell in charge. ESPN reported that he was handed a two-year contract around five months ago after United finished third in the Premier League and returned to the Champions League. Since then the club have made their worst league start in 40 years, beIN Sports reported, and the run without a win, which includes three draws and four defeats, is their longest since 2015.

For Como, the win was another landmark in their rapid rise under Cesc Fabregas. It was their second victory of the league phase and lifted them to six points.

According to beIN Sports, Como became the first Italian side since Udinese in 1997-98 to win their first two home matches in a major European competition. They completed 594 passes, the most by any team against United in a Champions League game since Barcelona in April 2019, and are only the second Italian club after AC Milan to beat United by three or more goals in the competition's history.

"That was one of the most beautiful games of my career; I'll never forget it," Paz told Sky Sport Italia.

Fabregas urged his players to keep their feet on the ground. "It's a special night, but we are still at the beginning for everything we have in our minds," he told the broadcaster.

Como play again on Saturday. United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.