In the latest turn in this season’s dramatic Serie A title race, Roma have managed to keep pace with the rest of the contenders with a gritty 1-0 win over surprise packages, Como. A 60th minute goal from Wesley Franca was eventually what it took for the Rome side to get all three points and cut the gap between them in 4th place and Inter Milan in first to just 3 points.
Matias Soule and Lorenzo Pellegrini were the double 10s behind Evan Ferguson for Roma. For Cesc Fabregas’ Como, it was a 4231 as Assane Diao started up top, flanked by Martin Baturina to his left and Jayden Addai to his right, talisman Nico Paz was in attacking midfield.
From minute 1, the atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico was thick with anticipation as Roma sought to keep their title aspirations alive against a resilient Como side. The match began with a palpable intensity, as the hosts immediately looked to stamp their authority on proceedings. Roma’s strategy was evident from the opening exchanges: pressing high up the pitch to disrupt Como’s build-up play and force errors in dangerous areas.
However, the visitors were well-drilled, setting up in a disciplined block that frustrated the Giallorossi’s early efforts. For the first ten minutes, the match was characterized by this tactical stalemate, with Roma struggling to carve out clear openings despite their territorial dominance.
It wasn’t until the 25th minute that the home crowd witnessed the first real moment of danger. Wesley França, active on the flank, managed to deliver a dangerous cross into the box, picking out Evan Ferguson.
The young striker, under significant pressure from defender Jacobo Ramón, did well to connect and direct a shot on target, the only one Roma would manage in the entire first half. However, the effort lacked the power or placement to trouble Jean Butez, going straight into the arms of the Como goalkeeper, leaving the deadlock intact.
The rhythm of the game was disrupted in the 37th minute by an unfortunate injury for the visitors. Assane Diao, sprinting forward on a counter-attack in hopes of catching Roma off guard, pulled up with a muscular injury. Unable to continue, he was forced off, leading to an early tactical reshuffle for Como as Anastasios Douvikas was introduced to the fray.
As the first half drew to a close, the action intensified. In the first minute of stoppage time, Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini attempted to break the deadlock in spectacular fashion. Meeting a corner kick, he tried an acrobatic volley, but the connection was poor, and the chance went begging, much to the frustration of the home supporters. Two minutes later, deep into stoppage time, it was Como who nearly snatched a shock lead against the run of play.
A free-kick floated into the Roma box was deftly flicked on by Marc-Oliver Kempf, falling perfectly into the path of substitute Douvikas. The striker looked set to pull the trigger from close range, but Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar reacted with lightning speed, rushing off his line to make a crucial intervention and push the ball away, ensuring the sides went into the break level at 0–0.
The second half exploded into life almost immediately. In the 48th minute, the Stadio Olimpico erupted as Roma thought they had taken the lead. Matias Soulé met a cross with a powerful header that crashed against the woodwork. The rebound fell kindly to Bryan Cristante, who slammed the ball home, but the celebrations were cut short as the linesman’s flag went up; the goal was ruled out for offside, keeping the scoreline blank.
The tension on the pitch began to spill over to the sidelines. In the 52nd minute, Como manager Cesc Fàbregas was shown a yellow card for dissent, a booking that would rule him out of his team’s next match against Lecce. On the field, Roma continued to press.
Just a minute later, Evan Ferguson broke down the right flank and fired an angled drive towards goal, but Jean Butez covered his near post well to make the save. The physical battle intensified, with cards beginning to flash. Jayden Addai entered the book in the 55th minute for bringing down Pellegrini to stop a dangerous counter-attack.
This was quickly followed by a flurry of bookings: Roma defender Gianluca Mancini saw yellow in the 58th minute for shoving an opponent after a foul on Álex Valle, and moments later, Como’s Nico Paz was cautioned for a late tackle on Mario Hermoso.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 60th minute, breaking the stubborn resistance of the visitors. Matias Soulé turned provider, laying the ball off to Wesley França just inside the area.
The Brazilian full-back unleashed a first-time daisy-cutter, a low, driven shot that threaded through the legs of Álex Valle and arrowed precisely into the bottom corner of the net. It was a moment of quality that finally separated the two sides, giving Roma a precious 1–0 lead.
Roma nearly doubled their advantage just four minutes later. Evan Ferguson drove into the box from the left and flashed a shot across the face of goal, but his effort went agonizingly wide of the far post, keeping Como in the contest.
Sensing the game was still in the balance, Fàbregas responded in the 65th minute with a double substitution, bringing on Stefan Posch and Jesus Rodriguez for Maxence Caqueret and Jayden Addai in an attempt to salvage a point.
The closing stages were fraught with tension. In the 78th minute, tempers flared once again on the bench, resulting in a member of the Como coaching staff being sent off for dissent. On the pitch, Como pushed desperately for an equalizer.
In the 84th minute, substitute Stefan Posch surged forward from midfield, breaking into the Roma box. He unleashed a shot that looked destined to trouble the goal, but Evan Ndicka produced a crucial defensive block inside the six-yard box. Svilar was alert to the danger, smothering the loose ball to prevent any rebound opportunity.
As the clock ticked down, Roma managed the game professionally, frustrating their opponents. In the dying seconds of the match, deep into the sixth minute of stoppage time, Jacobo Ramón was booked as the visitors’ frustrations boiled over.
The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 1–0 victory for Roma, a result that allowed them to secure a vital win to stay fourth and move within three points of the league leaders, while Como were left to rue a second consecutive defeat despite a competitive performance
