Gasperini and Fabregas clash again as Malen's red card turns Como-Roma

Roma earned a hard-fought point on the road at Como, holding a 0–0 draw on 11 October despite playing most of the second half with ten men after Donyell Malen's dismissal. The Dutch winger was sent off early in the second half by referee Fabbri, a decision the raters found excessive given the overall nature of the play, though Malen was noted as somewhat reckless in the challenge. The result counted toward the sixth matchday of the Serie A season. Pierluigi Gollini deputised in goal and drew particular praise for his work on distribution and his alertness to Como's limited chances, keeping the bench-warmer tag away from Mile Svilar. At centre-back, Gianluca Mancini and Evan N'Dicka formed an imposing partnership; Mancini earned a 7 rating for his battling quality and composure in the tackle despite rare lapses, while N'Dicka dominated a physical duel with Como's Douvikas. Mario Hermoso supported the backline with careful defending before Leonardo Balerdi replaced him in the 60th minute. Marten de Roon covered ground reliably in midfield, earning a 7 for consistency with Gasperini's system. Paulo Dybala was handed a 6, his performance marred by a glaring early miss that could have altered the match entirely. Lorenzo Pellegrini made his return to the pitch and was credited with important work and technical quality, including a shot that struck the post from the edge of the area, though his fitness remained not yet sharp. He gave way to Matías Soulé at the 46th minute. Manu Koné was not at his sharpest, rated 6, while defender Nahuel Molina (5.5) struggled with precision; Devyne Rensch entered in the 81st minute and impressed on arrival. Gasperini himself earned a 6.5, praised for keeping Roma organised and tactically sharp after numerical disadvantage forced him to abandon attacking ambitions and deploy personnel with calculated precision through his substitutions. With parity in numbers, Roma had appeared the superior side and more threatening side before the dismissal.

Nico Paz spoke to DAZN after Como's draw with Roma, reflecting on a missed opportunity to break the deadlock. Asked what cost his side a goal late in the match, Paz said: "It was difficult, they put a lot of people in the area. We should have moved the ball more quickly, but we did everything possible." Roma's defensive discipline in their own box proved decisive in keeping the result level. Paz has been adjusting to significant change at Como following Messi's recent departure from the club, which marked an emotional two weeks. Despite the upheaval, he has already found the net and is looking to sustain that form. On whether he could inherit Messi's number 10 shirt, Paz was non-committal: "I don't know. Those were two beautiful weeks for Messi's goodbye, which was very sad. I enjoyed it and I also scored. Now I want to keep doing that with Como."

Roma drew 0–0 at Como in Serie A's first goalless match of the season, with Dybala and Pellegrini spurning first-half chances before Malen's dismissal reshaped the contest. Dybala had an early opportunity to break the deadlock, then Pellegrini struck the woodwork as Roma dominated the opening period. Como grew into the match as the half progressed, but the turning point came early in the second half when Malen was sent off directly for a high challenge on Kaiki. Thereafter, Roma retreated into a defensive shell, forced to absorb pressure with ten men. The point keeps Roma within two of Inter at the summit, though it represented a missed opportunity for Fabregas's Como to exploit their numerical advantage. For Roma, securing a draw despite the dismissal proved valuable; Dybala's display combined quality and graft throughout. The Giallorossi's focus now shifts to Wednesday, when they face Real Madrid in the Champions League. Como travel to Feyenoord in the same competition.

Roma earned a hard-fought point on the road at Como, holding a 0–0 draw on 11 October despite playing most of the second half with ten men after Donyell Malen's dismissal. The Dutch winger was sent off early in the second half by referee Fabbri, a decision the raters found excessive given the overall nature of the play, though Malen was noted as somewhat reckless in the challenge. The result counted toward the sixth matchday of the Serie A season. Pierluigi Gollini deputised in goal and drew particular praise for his work on distribution and his alertness to Como's limited chances, keeping the bench-warmer tag away from Mile Svilar. At centre-back, Gianluca Mancini and Evan N'Dicka formed an imposing partnership; Mancini earned a 7 rating for his battling quality and composure in the tackle despite rare lapses, while N'Dicka dominated a physical duel with Como's Douvikas. Mario Hermoso supported the backline with careful defending before Leonardo Balerdi replaced him in the 60th minute. Marten de Roon covered ground reliably in midfield, earning a 7 for consistency with Gasperini's system. Paulo Dybala was handed a 6, his performance marred by a glaring early miss that could have altered the match entirely. Lorenzo Pellegrini made his return to the pitch and was credited with important work and technical quality, including a shot that struck the post from the edge of the area, though his fitness remained not yet sharp. He gave way to Matías Soulé at the 46th minute. Manu Koné was not at his sharpest, rated 6, while defender Nahuel Molina (5.5) struggled with precision; Devyne Rensch entered in the 81st minute and impressed on arrival. Gasperini himself earned a 6.5, praised for keeping Roma organised and tactically sharp after numerical disadvantage forced him to abandon attacking ambitions and deploy personnel with calculated precision through his substitutions. With parity in numbers, Roma had appeared the superior side and more threatening side before the dismissal.

Roma drew 0–0 at Como in Serie A's first goalless match of the season, with Dybala and Pellegrini spurning first-half chances before Malen's dismissal reshaped the contest. Dybala had an early opportunity to break the deadlock, then Pellegrini struck the woodwork as Roma dominated the opening period. Como grew into the match as the half progressed, but the turning point came early in the second half when Malen was sent off directly for a high challenge on Kaiki. Thereafter, Roma retreated into a defensive shell, forced to absorb pressure with ten men. The point keeps Roma within two of Inter at the summit, though it represented a missed opportunity for Fabregas's Como to exploit their numerical advantage. For Roma, securing a draw despite the dismissal proved valuable; Dybala's display combined quality and graft throughout. The Giallorossi's focus now shifts to Wednesday, when they face Real Madrid in the Champions League. Como travel to Feyenoord in the same competition.

Roma drew with Como on 11 October 2026, but the result was overshadowed by a red card shown to Donyell Malen in the 55th minute. Referee Fabbri's decision to dismiss the Dutch forward has come under heavy scrutiny. Malen was fouled before the contact with Como's Kaiki, and Fabbri played advantage; when that advantage did not materialise, the referee should have returned to blow his whistle for the original foul. Instead, he allowed play to continue, fundamentally changing the course of the match. Further examination reveals that Malen also made contact with the ball during the challenge on Kaiki, a detail that compounds the controversy. A yellow card would have been the correct sanction. Despite playing the entire second half with ten men and facing a decision that will be debated for some time, Roma showed character and sacrifice to prevent Como from scoring. The point gained demonstrates the resilience of Gasperini's side, who remain in contention for the title. The handling of the incident will draw criticism, but the squad's response—maintaining discipline and shape throughout the numerical disadvantage—speaks to their commitment.