Como–Roma will leave a mark on both sides, says Agresti

Roma have built a new confidence under Gian Piero Gasperini that goes beyond the silverware won under previous managers. The club's third-place finish in Serie A last season marked not the summit of their ambitions but the beginning of a process of sustained growth. After winning the UEFA Europa Conference League, the squad spent months looking inward, struggling to process the achievement as anything more than a destination. That inward focus shifted when Roma narrowly missed qualification for the Champions League in Budapest—a turning point that reframed trophies as waypoints rather than final chapters. Now, with European qualification secured and a clearer understanding of their trajectory, the players have moved beyond celebrating the podium finish and into serious preparation for further advancement. Gasperini's coaching has been central to this shift in mentality. The squad no longer carries the complex of missing the Champions League; instead, they grasp that the margins for improvement can take them even further. The manager has instilled the view that third place was not an arrival but a launch pad. This awareness will be tested immediately. Roma travel to Como, where they have lost in each of the last two seasons under both Claudio Ranieri and Gasperini. A victory would move them clear of Fabregas's side and overturn the perception that Roma's fixtures are the most difficult among the league's top clubs—Inter and Lazio face comparatively straightforward opponents on paper, while Juventus and Milan have away trips to Cagliari and Sassuolo that carry real danger but are far from insurmountable. Beyond Como lies Mourinho's return with Roma against Real Madrid, a match guaranteed to stir emotion. Yet the article notes that a genuine test of football also awaits, against a Real Madrid side that is not flawless. Following that comes a clash with De Rossi's Genoa. The size of the gap between Roma and Genoa is described as gigantic, meaning sentiment for Roma's former captain will not excuse any lapse in focus or performance.

Roma travel to Como on Saturday 10 October 2026 in a fixture that carries multiple subplots. The match will pit Wesley, Roma's Brazilian defender, against Como's Yan Couto, another Brazilian fullback operating as an attacking outlet. Both remain without a goal this season but have featured for Brazil's senior squad—Couto with 4 appearances and Wesley with 8. The encounter at the Sinigaglia will serve as a meaningful indicator ahead of Carlo Ancelotti's future selections for the national team. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini stands on the brink of a significant milestone: victory would deliver his 300th win in Serie A, a threshold previously crossed only by Trapattoni, Allegri, Spalletti and Rocco—all of whom won the Scudetto. Roma's record against Como in the last ten Serie A meetings offers encouragement: they have never drawn, winning seven times and losing three. The midfield and attacking line remain in flux, with Matías Soulé, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Rodrigo Mora competing for the attacking midfield role; Soulé has returned from international duty but remains in contention for the starting lineup. Paulo Dybala and Como's Nico Paz will showcase an Argentine dimension to the match. Dybala arrives with 4 assists but without a goal in the season so far, while Paz has scored once and supplied one assist. Forward Donyell Malen and Como's Christos Douvikas share a formative Dutch connection: Malen developed through PSV's academy and became the club's second-youngest player in history to score at least 10 goals in three consecutive seasons by age 22. Douvikas established himself at Utrecht with 32 goals in 77 matches before winning the Eredivisie's top-scorer award in 2022–23 with 19 goals.

Como and Roma meet on 11 October in a fixture billed as the next significant challenge to Inter's dominance. The match kicks off at 12.30. A striking statistical detail emerges from the probable lineups: only one Italian will start among the 22 players on the pitch — Gianluca Mancini of Roma. The phenomenon is not unprecedented; Inter fielded 22 foreign players in their opening match against Udinese. Como and the club's management, led by Fabregas, have emphasised the substantial number of Italian youth in their academy ranks, which has boosted participation in various Italy youth-team camps. However, the effects of those investments will take years to materialize. A more encouraging statistic tempers the discussion. Both Como and Roma boast the two lowest average squad ages in Serie A — Como at 24.5 years, Roma at 25.8 years. This youth profile suggests both clubs have built squads capable of competing at the highest level while developing for the future, a particularly positive indicator for Roma as they navigate the season.