Was this as Roma fans dreamt it? Across one corner of Old Trafford unfurled the scarves of the giallorossi. Banners, “Ultras Romanas”, “Brigata Romana”, shivered with the vibrations of song. The locals were silent; all you could hear were Italian anthems. Or was it part of the nightmare? Amusement, not anguish, played on the faces of Englishmen. They were simply letting their visitors enjoy their moment. On the score-board: Manchester United 5 Roma 0, 50 minutes gone.

Not every giallorossi had the stomach for defiance. One silent, ashen Roman held up five disbelieving fingers. By the end the same hand was cradling his face. When grief is accruing, what’s the use of counting the score?

Manchester United 7 Roma 1, full-time. When Luciano Spalletti congratulated Sir Alex Ferguson he gave the master a bow. The Roma coach then shook every United player’s hand except two; Darren Fletcher, who, true to his high-octane performance, raced for the dressing rooms, and Rio Ferdinand, who went off before the end, leaving United to finish with 10 men. An injury? “Nah. I had an upset stomach and had to go to the toilet,” Ferdinand said. His verdict? “We were breathtaking. To do that after losing to Portsmouth showed great spirit and, ha, ‘bouncebackability’.”

From the mire at Fratton Park to seventh heaven, even by United’s standards last week was some turnaround. “We don’t spend much time having doubts here,” said Patrice Evra. “That’s the difference between a great club and an average club.”

For Roma’s visit Ferguson brought in Fletcher for the suspended Paul Scholes and made an important change to his forward line. He is famous for backing hunches and they are not always right. Before a previous European Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford he dropped a fans’ favourite, David Beckham, for Juan Veron, a player hampered by injury, harried by critics. It had not worked. Yet Ferguson did not shy from a similar decision on Tuesday. Out went Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in came Alan Smith, who had not scored at home since 2004. In January, Ferguson had even suggested he went on loan. “He said he had a list of interested clubs and I said ‘I’m not bothered’, that I thought I was good enough to play here and wanted to prove it,” said Smith. “I was only told I was playing at quarter to six, but the important thing is to believe in yourself and the most pleasing thing was that the manager had faith to put me in for what was probably our biggest game of the season. Imagine if things had gone wrong.”

United’s Roman goal orgy became possible because of their voracious start. Fletcher appeared to have reinvented himself as Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick as Steven Gerrard. The elegant tail of Ryan Giggs was up, Wayne Rooney buzzed and bustled, Smith, a lone striker, chased everywhere. The whip of the young ringmaster, Cristiano Ronaldo, snaked and cracked round the ring. Tackling stiffly, clearing quickly, Ferdinand’s defence did their bit. “Let’s not underestimate Roma, they went to Lyon and won 2-0. That first 20 minutes were key,” said Smith.

It was 3-0 with Spalletti standing stricken in his technical area, plans A, B and C clearly defenestrated, by just five past eight. Carrick controlled Ronaldo’s pass and shot past Doni without breaking stride. Rooney flicked home Giggs’s cross after a mesmeric Ronaldo dribble. Between these goals Giggs had nudged a nonchalant ball over Cristian Chivu for Smith to lean back and spoon beyond Doni. Smith’s Premiership scoring may be modest but he has always enjoyed Europe. “I scored seven times in the Champions League one season for Leeds,” he said. He celebrated by charging towards supporters. “The players all said ‘don’t do any more running or you’ll be dead’,” he grinned.

Beware match statistics. According to Uefa, Roma had almost as many shots as United and Spalletti was pilloried in Italy when he tried to cling to this. The figures also show Roma having 54% possession — which is more a tribute to United than them. When you can quickly put the ball in the net, there is no need to hold on to it. United’s fourth goal, like their first three, came from a move starting in their own half. Giggs launched Ronaldo, who swerved inside, then outside, poor Chivu before firing home from 18 yards. Four-nil at half-time; soon a close-in finish from a cutting move involving Giggs and Rooney gave Ronaldo a second: incredibly, they were his first in the Champions League proper.

Carrick curled in No 6 and after Daniele De Rossi consoled Roma, substitute Evra made it 7-1. “I thought it was a joke by Ferguson when he sent me on at right-back. I scored by accident, really,” said Evra, who added: “Solskjaer says our team is younger, faster, more solid than 1999. This season could be fantastic or it could end in a bad dream. In football only trophies count.”

Evra played for the only side to have bettered United’s victory in the Champions League – Monaco when they beat Deportivo La Coruña 8-3 in 2003. From the dressing room he texted Sebastien Squillaci and Gael Givet, two former Monaco teammates, to marvel about lightning striking twice. Smith and Ferdinand talked about playing in Leeds’s semi-final defeat by Valencia in 2001. “I said to Smudger, let’s not have a repeat,” said Ferdinand. “I remember the time and the place, every single minute of that tie, and I don’t want to feel that disappointment again.”

On Wednesday, Ferguson was in Munich to see Milan progress to meet United. On Thursday, he returned to find Ronaldo was extending his contract at United until 2012. No wonder he was sanguine on Friday. “We’re not going to be afraid,” he said. “When we played Milan in 2005 there was a bit of nervousness and caution about us but now we know there’s no need for that. It wasn’t just the goals but the speed of our game, the tempo, the quality. I always say you need eight players to really perform to win a game of football, the other three can join in. But we got 11 the other night.”

Italy joins Ronaldo fan club

The Italian football press briefly broke off their hand-wringing over Roma’s failings to salute the ‘Manchester United cyclone’ as Gazzetta dello Sport put it. ‘George Best is still in everyone’s hearts and minds, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s star shines brighter than any other. He’s the hottest property in Europe.’ Giuseppe Bergomi, the former Internazionale captain, said in Il Giornale: ‘He looked like my Ronaldo, who did so well at Inter in 1998. Cristiano has the same ability to dribble 40m and score with defenders scattered around him’