Two of Serie A’s most ambitious sides meet at Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday lunchtime, with Como 1907 looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season and AS Roma attempting to maintain their unbeaten start.
Both clubs broke into the top four last season and have genuine ambitions of challenging the established Serie A hierarchy again. The contrast in form makes this particularly interesting. Como’s 10-game unbeaten run was ended before the international break, while Roma remain unbeaten and arrive with an exceptional away record.
Como had made an impressive start to the campaign before their unexpected 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Frosinone. The result ended a 10-match unbeaten run and represented their first defeat of the season. Cesc Fabregas will be particularly concerned by his team’s defensive record. The side that finished with Serie A’s best defensive record last season have failed to keep a clean sheet in any competition this season and that will be tested severely against Roma.
The positive for Como is their home form. They have won five of their last seven Serie A matches at Stadio Sinigaglia, and they have also beaten Roma in both of their home meetings since returning to the top flight in 2024. The hosts will need to make that advantage count because their schedule is about to become considerably more demanding.
Champions League fixtures against Feyenoord and Manchester United are approaching, making Sunday’s contest an important opportunity to establish momentum. Meanwhile, Roma arrive with considerably greater consistency.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side remain unbeaten after five league matches and also held Fenerbahce to a 1-1 draw in Istanbul. Their most recent Serie A match produced a 2-2 draw with Inter, despite Roma taking a two-goal lead through a brace from Manu Kone. That result prevented Roma from maintaining a perfect record but still left them at the top of the table on 13 points.
The away record is perhaps even more impressive and the Giallorossi are chasing a sixth consecutive Serie A away victory, something they have not achieved since 2017. This is therefore a fascinating clash between Como’s home strength and Roma’s exceptional away momentum. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Como 1907
Como head into the match with an unusually healthy squad. Long-term absentee Jayden Addai has resumed full training, leaving Cesc Fabregas with plenty of options. The main selection question is in attack as Moise Kean should be available despite missing Italy’s final Nations League fixture, but he faces competition from Anastasios Douvikas.
Douvikas has enjoyed an exceptional year, scoring 12 goals in 2026, a club record for Serie A goals in a single calendar year. Interestingly, however, his last five goals have all come away from home. Como are expected to use a 4-2-3-1, with Jean Butez in goal and Yan Couto, Jacobo Ramon, Trevoh Chalobah, and Alex Valle forming the defensive line.
Lucas Da Cunha and Luis Milla should form the midfield base, while Assane Diao, Nico Paz, and Martin Baturina operate behind Anastasios Douvikas. Fabregas’s biggest tactical challenge will be finding a balance between Como’s desire to build from the back and Roma’s aggressive pressing.
The double pivot of Da Cunha and Milla will be important in helping Como escape pressure. If they can receive the ball cleanly and connect with Nico Paz between the lines, Como can force Roma’s back three to defend facing their own goal. Nico Paz could be particularly influential and his movement between Roma’s midfield and defensive lines can create uncertainty over who should step forward to mark him.
Como will also need their full-backs to choose their moments carefully. Pushing both forward simultaneously could expose them to Roma’s transitions, particularly with Wesley and Molina capable of exploiting space in wide areas.
At the other end, Douvikas’s movement could be key and rather than simply waiting for crosses, he will need to drag Roma’s centre-backs out of position and create spaces for the attacking midfielders to exploit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Da Cunha, Milla; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas
AS Roma
Donyell Malen has recovered from a minor injury and should be available to lead the attack. His scoring efficiency has been remarkable since arriving at Roma, with a Serie A goal every 91 minutes since his debut in January.
Wesley is also back after recovering from a thigh problem that forced him to withdraw from Brazil duty. There is further positive news regarding Bryan Cristante, who could return after a knee problem ruled him out of Italy’s squad.
Gian Piero Gasperini is expected to retain his 3-4-2-1, with Mile Svilar behind Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina, Manu Kone, Marten de Roon, and Wesley should form the midfield four, while Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule operate behind Donyell Malen.
Roma’s three-man defence should give Gasperini the ability to build attacks with numerical superiority while allowing the wing-backs to push forward. The key could be Kone’s ability to carry the ball through midfield. His two goals against Inter demonstrated his attacking potential, but his ball progression can also help Roma break through Como’s first line of pressure.
The positions of Dybala and Soule will be particularly important. Both can drift into central areas, creating overloads around Como’s double pivot. If Como’s midfielders follow them too aggressively, spaces can open for Roma’s wing-backs.
Malen’s movement should then become crucial as the Dutchman is not simply a penalty-box striker. He can run into the channels and pull defenders away, allowing Dybala and Soulé to attack the spaces he creates. Roma may therefore look to stretch Como horizontally before attacking centrally.
The major danger for Gasperini is leaving space behind the wing-backs as Como have enough technical quality to exploit those areas if Roma commit too many players forward.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Kone, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Mora; Malen
Key Stats
- Como have won five of their last seven Serie A home matches.
- AS Roma are unbeaten in their opening five Serie A matches.
- Roma are chasing a sixth consecutive Serie A away victory, something they have not achieved since 2017.
- Donyell Malen has scored once every 91 minutes in Serie A since joining Roma, giving him the best minutes-per-goal rate in Italy’s top flight during that period.
- Como have won both of their home meetings with Roma since returning to Serie A in 2024.
Player to Watch
Donyell Malen
The Dutch attacker has been remarkably efficient since joining Roma, scoring a Serie A goal every 91 minutes since his debut in January. Malen also scored when these sides met at Stadio Sinigaglia in March, meaning he already knows how to find the net against Como at this venue.
His movement could be particularly problematic for Como’s defence. Malen can operate centrally but also drift into the channels, which could force Como’s centre-backs to make difficult decisions about whether to follow him.That movement could create valuable space for Dybala and Soule to exploit from behind. With Como having failed to keep a clean sheet in any competition this season, Malen represents arguably Roma’s most dangerous individual threat.
Prediction
Como 1907 1-2 AS Roma
This has the ingredients of one of the weekend’s most intriguing Serie A matches. Como’s home record and recent success against Roma at Stadio Sinigaglia should not be underestimated, while Fabregas has an almost fully fit squad to choose from. Their ability to play through Roma’s pressure will be critical.
Roma, however, are operating with enormous confidence. They remain unbeaten, sit at the top of the table and are pursuing a sixth straight away victory. Gian Piero Gasperini’s tactical structure also gives them several ways of hurting Como. The hosts should create chances, particularly through Nico Paz and their wide players, but Roma’s greater experience and Malen’s efficiency could ultimately prove decisive.
