Como 0-1 Roma: Malen sent off as Roma draw blank in Serie A fixture

Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute of Roma's match at Como after referee Fabbri deemed his challenge on Kaiki dangerously played. The Roma forward, pressured by two Como defenders, slid in to contest the ball in what he and the Roma bench felt was a legitimate tackle. Malen protested to fourth official Sozza, saying: "It's always a foul first, if you whistle the foul first I don't get sent off." Arbitral expert Luca Marelli offered a contrasting assessment of the red card. He acknowledged that Malen made contact with the ball using the inside of his right foot but criticised the manner of the challenge: "He came in badly, with his foot raised above the ankle and his knee extended, at speed. A genuinely dangerous intervention and the red card was correct." Roma and manager Bobby lodged strong protests with the fourth official over the decision.

Donyell Malen was sent off in the 52nd minute during Roma's Serie A match against Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in the sixth round of fixtures. After fouling Como defender Kaiki, Malen lost possession and was dismissed when he collided with the defender in attempting to recover the ball. Roma's players had protested moments earlier for a foul committed against Malen before the incident. Both Malen and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini displayed disbelief at the dismissal as the forward left the pitch. The match was refereed by Fabbri, with Imperiale and Baccini as assistants. Sozza served as fourth official, while Gariglio and Abisso operated as VAR and AVAR respectively.

Lorenzo Pellegrini marked his return to action with a milestone as Roma faced Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Serie A matchday 6. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini handed the captain his first start after six months out with injury, and the midfielder reached 350 appearances across all competitions for the club. The figure puts Pellegrini within striking distance of 12th place on Roma's all-time appearance list, held by Damiano Tommasi with 351 caps.

Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute of Roma's match at Como after referee Fabbri deemed his challenge on Kaiki dangerously played. The Roma forward, pressured by two Como defenders, slid in to contest the ball in what he and the Roma bench felt was a legitimate tackle. Malen protested to fourth official Sozza, saying: "It's always a foul first, if you whistle the foul first I don't get sent off." Arbitral expert Luca Marelli offered a contrasting assessment of the red card. He acknowledged that Malen made contact with the ball using the inside of his right foot but criticised the manner of the challenge: "He came in badly, with his foot raised above the ankle and his knee extended, at speed. A genuinely dangerous intervention and the red card was correct." Roma and manager Bobby lodged strong protests with the fourth official over the decision.

Donyell Malen was sent off in the 52nd minute during Roma's Serie A match against Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in the sixth round of fixtures. After fouling Como defender Kaiki, Malen lost possession and was dismissed when he collided with the defender in attempting to recover the ball. Roma's players had protested moments earlier for a foul committed against Malen before the incident. Both Malen and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini displayed disbelief at the dismissal as the forward left the pitch. The match was refereed by Fabbri, with Imperiale and Baccini as assistants. Sozza served as fourth official, while Gariglio and Abisso operated as VAR and AVAR respectively.

Roma lost Donyell Malen to a straight red card in the 53rd minute during their Serie A visit to Como on matchday six, as Michael Fabbri's refereeing came under expert scrutiny for several contentious moments. Malen was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Kaiki, sliding in with his foot raised above the ankle and knee extended—an intervention that referee Fabbri and expert analyst Luca Marelli both deemed correct. The incident occurred at Stadio Sinigaglia, where Roma played their first match after the international break that spanned late September and October. Marelli stated: "Red is correct, it is true that he clips the ball with the inside of his right foot but he went in badly, with his foot raised above the ankle and knee tight, at speed. Really dangerous intervention and red is correct." Malen's dismissal visibly shocked the player, his teammates, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who removed his sleeveless jacket in frustration. Maren de Roon received a second yellow in the 47th minute for a challenge on Kaiki. In the 15th minute, Marelli criticized Fabbri for issuing only a verbal warning when Caqueret obstructed Nahuel Molina during a throw-in on Roma's defensive third: "It is a codified situation, Caqueret should have been cautioned." Late in the first half, Marelli clarified a challenge involving Jacobo Ramon and Lorenzo Pellegrini: "The arm touch by Jacobo Ramon occurred, but in front of the chest and therefore not punishable." Additionally, Marelli identified a missing yellow card for Wesley following contact with Diao in Como's attacking third at the end of the first half, though he emphasized there were insufficient grounds for dismissal. Matías Soulé received a yellow card in the 62nd minute for protests, while Manu Koné was cautioned in the 57th minute.

Lorenzo Pellegrini marked his return to action with a milestone as Roma faced Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Serie A matchday 6. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini handed the captain his first start after six months out with injury, and the midfielder reached 350 appearances across all competitions for the club. The figure puts Pellegrini within striking distance of 12th place on Roma's all-time appearance list, held by Damiano Tommasi with 351 caps.

Roma lost Donyell Malen to a straight red card in the 53rd minute during their Serie A visit to Como on matchday six, as Michael Fabbri's refereeing came under expert scrutiny for several contentious moments. Malen was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Kaiki, sliding in with his foot raised above the ankle and knee extended—an intervention that referee Fabbri and expert analyst Luca Marelli both deemed correct. The incident occurred at Stadio Sinigaglia, where Roma played their first match after the international break that spanned late September and October. Marelli stated: "Red is correct, it is true that he clips the ball with the inside of his right foot but he went in badly, with his foot raised above the ankle and knee tight, at speed. Really dangerous intervention and red is correct." Malen's dismissal visibly shocked the player, his teammates, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who removed his sleeveless jacket in frustration. Maren de Roon received a second yellow in the 47th minute for a challenge on Kaiki. In the 15th minute, Marelli criticized Fabbri for issuing only a verbal warning when Caqueret obstructed Nahuel Molina during a throw-in on Roma's defensive third: "It is a codified situation, Caqueret should have been cautioned." Late in the first half, Marelli clarified a challenge involving Jacobo Ramon and Lorenzo Pellegrini: "The arm touch by Jacobo Ramon occurred, but in front of the chest and therefore not punishable." Additionally, Marelli identified a missing yellow card for Wesley following contact with Diao in Como's attacking third at the end of the first half, though he emphasized there were insufficient grounds for dismissal. Matías Soulé received a yellow card in the 62nd minute for protests, while Manu Koné was cautioned in the 57th minute.

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico spoke to journalists before kickoff in the sixth Serie A round at Como, addressing the squad's readiness and injury situation. "We expect a match between two strong sides," D'Amico said. "We haven't had much time to prepare it, but we have months of work behind us. We hope for a standout moment in football." The director confirmed that goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante will miss a significant period through injury. "It's a great shame to lose an important player like Mile," D'Amico said. "But also Cristante. It's unfortunate because these are long injuries—they will miss quite a few matches. The squad members have great trust in the club, and everyone who has the opportunity to be on show should see that as motivation and not a burden." On the debut of Lorenzo Pellegrini, D'Amico expressed confidence in the midfielder's contribution going forward. D'Amico stressed that Pellegrini's arrival represented a significant acquisition for Roma. "For us it was a signing," he said. "We found him with his contract expiring—everyone who signed a renewal was among the first signings. Lorenzo has lived through difficult months and worked hard in the summer; for him this is a major motivation. We are convinced he can give a big hand to the group."

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico spoke to DAZN shortly before the match between Como and Roma on 11 October, addressing the squad's readiness and key personnel changes. With goalkeeper Mile Svilar sidelined by injury, D'Amico expressed confidence in Pierluigi Gollini's ability to step in, alongside midfielder Marten de Roon. "It is a great shame to lose important players like Svilar or Cristante to injury," D'Amico said. "They are fairly lengthy injuries and both will miss some matches. But all the players who are part of the squad have great trust from the club and the coach, and that is why they are here. For Gollini, like de Roon or all the players who have the opportunity to show themselves, it is a motivation and not a burden." D'Amico framed Lorenzo Pellegrini's return as a strategic acquisition. "For us, Pellegrini was a signing—we found him out of contract," he explained. "He, like Dybala and Cristante, were our first signings in the market. Pellegrini lived very difficult months after his injury in May, worked hard over the summer, and for him too I believe it is a great motivation to return today. We are very happy to see him on the pitch and we are convinced he can give great help to the group." D'Amico acknowledged the challenge posed by Como, noting the squad had limited preparation time with international players returning on Friday. "The principles of the two teams are somewhat different, and we expect a fine match between two strong sides," he said. "The time to prepare it has not been great, but there are months of important work behind us. We hope for a fine match between two strong sides and a showcase for Italian football."

Como and Roma meet in a high-quality fixture on 11 October as both sides look to test their ambitions early in the season. Gasperini's Roma face significant absences: Bryan Cristante and Mile Svilar are unavailable, with Marten de Roon and Pierluigi Gollini stepping in. Como manager Cesc Fabregas is without Kean, his backup striker. Pellegrini returns to Roma's lineup after six months out, wearing the captain's armband on the trequarti alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. The fixture is early enough in the campaign to offer limited guidance on league position, but Gasperini will use it to gauge the squad's form and competitive level. Roma field a 3-4-2-1: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Koné, Wesley; Dybala, Pellegrini; Malen. Substitutes: Vasquez, De Marzi, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Soulé, Castro, Mora. Como line up in 4-2-3-1: Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Da Cunha, Perrone; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.

Lorenzo Pellegrini will start for Roma in the Serie A match against Como on 11 October, marking his first time in the team's opening formation for six months. Gian Piero Gasperini's side travel to the Giuseppe Sinigaglia for the sixth-round lunch kick-off, where they face Cesc Fabregas's Como side. The appointment comes during the international break window and presents Roma with a challenging away fixture. Gasperini must manage two significant absences: Mile Svilar is sidelined by a fracture to the fifth digit of his hand, and Bryan Cristante is unavailable. Pierluigi Gollini takes the goalkeeping role in Svilar's place. Wesley and Donyell Malen have recovered from their previous issues and are available. Marten de Roon is set to partner Manu Koné in midfield following Cristante's absence. Roma line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, De Roon, Koné, Wesley; Dybala, Pellegrini; Malen. The referee is Fabbri from Ravenna, with Imperiale and Baccini as assistants, Sozza as fourth official, Gariglio on VAR and Abisso as assistant VAR. Como deploy a 4-2-3-1: Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Milla, Da Cunha; Diao, Nico Paz, Baturina; Douvikas, under manager Fabregas.