Gasperini's tactical shifts prove decisive in Roma's win over Fiorentina

Roma travel to Como on Sunday at 12:30 for a top-of-the-table clash, with the Giallorossi level on points with Inter and Lazio at the summit. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has opted to hand a starting place to Portuguese midfielder Rodrigo Mora, class of 2007, in what appears a tactical gamble to break one of Roma's most stubborn curses: the club has not won at the Como ground overlooking Lake Como since 30 April 1989, when Manfredonia headed home at the second minute. Nearly 38 years have passed since that day. The three subsequent visits to Lario have all ended in defeat, most recently when Donyell Malen converted a seventh-minute penalty to put Roma ahead, only for Wesley's red card to leave the ten-men Giallorossi vulnerable to a Cesc Fabregas comeback. Gasperini tested new tactical solutions in a friendly against Sorianese (20-0), settling on a 3-4-1-2 shape designed to counter Fabregas's four-man defence and contain the opposing full-backs' central positioning. Mora, operating as a midfielder, offers the crucial link between midfield and attack through his quality in the final pass and the threat of distance shooting—both weapons aimed at unlocking Como's defensive block. Roma must also overturn a troubling pattern after international breaks: across the last two seasons, they have managed only two wins, one draw and five defeats in eight matches following national-team pauses. In the 2024-25 campaign, after drawing 1-1 at Genoa and losing 1-0 at home to both Inter and Napoli, Roma found victory only in spring under Claudio Ranieri with a 1-0 win at Lecce. Under Gasperini this season, home losses to Torino (0-1) and Inter (0-1) were sandwiched around a 3-1 victory over Cremonese, followed by a heavy 5-2 defeat at San Siro in April—a setback later overcome during the final push to third place and Champions League qualification.

Roma arrive at Como on Sunday 12 October for a Serie A fixture shadowed by one of their most stubborn taboos in Italian football. The Giallorossi have not won at the Sinigaglia since 30 April 1989, when Lionello Manfredonia's goal after two minutes sealed a 0–1 victory — a 37-year drought that requires context: Como spent long periods outside Serie A, and Roma have visited only twice since that day, losing 2–0 in December 2024 and 2–1 on 15 March 2026. A January 2003 encounter between the clubs, also a 2–0 Como win, was played on neutral ground at Piacenza's Garilli. Across 31 official meetings, Roma lead 16–8–7, but a striking pattern has emerged: none of the last ten Serie A clashes has ended in a draw, with Roma winning seven and Como three. The previous stalemate came on 18 January 1987, 0–0. Como's home record is particularly daunting — they have won their last three league matches at the Sinigaglia against Roma, scoring exactly two goals each time. Yet Roma enter the match on a remarkable run: they have won their last five away games in Serie A. A sixth consecutive away victory would be a rarity in the club's history; only once have Roma managed six or more consecutive away league wins, when they won 12 straight between February and November 2017. Roma's start to the 2026–27 season is also noteworthy — they have reached at least 13 points in their first five matches only five times in their history. A win at Como would take them to 16 points after six rounds, a tally reached only twice before: 18 points in 2013–14 and 16 in 1952–53. Both defences have been exceptional. Since last season began, Roma have conceded 34 goals and Como 35, the two best records in Serie A over that span; only Arsenal have done better across the five major European leagues, with 31 conceded. Offensively, neither team relies solely on defensive strength: Como have scored 74 goals and Roma 73 in the same period, making them the second and third-best attacks in Serie A behind Inter. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini stands at 299 Serie A victories; Sunday could deliver a landmark. Reaching 300 wins would make him only the fifth manager in the history of Italy's top flight to achieve that figure, after Giovanni Trapattoni, Massimiliano Allegri, Luciano Spalletti and Nereo Rocco. Donyell Malen has produced extraordinary numbers since his Roma debut in Serie A on 18 January 2026, scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances — more than any player in Europe's five major leagues in the same period; Harry Kane and Raphinha have 18. Among players with at least ten goals, Malen holds the best minutes-per-goal ratio in Serie A's three-points era: one goal every 91 minutes, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo at 104 and Ronaldo Nazário at 117. Roma's away form and attacking potency will be tested against Como's fortress at home and their own exceptional defensive record. The match kicks off at 12:30 on Sunday 12 October.

Roma return to the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday 13 October to face Real Madrid in a fixture charged with emotion both on and off the pitch. The match marks Mourinho's return to Rome and Roma's first Champions League home game in seven years. Gasperini will hold his pre-match press conference at Trigoria at 13:30 on Tuesday 13 October. The team will train at 15:00, with the session open to media for the first 15 minutes. Real Madrid will conduct their morning session in Spain before arriving in Rome in the afternoon. Mourinho's press conference will take place at the Olimpico at 18:00.

Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi have returned to full training with Roma ahead of Sunday's Serie A fixture against Como, scheduled for 12:30 at the Sinigaglia stadium on 11 October. The three Argentine internationals had completed only a recovery session the previous day after their national team commitments but trained normally with the squad on 9 October. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini now has nearly his entire roster available, with Bryan Cristante remaining the sole absentee and set to miss the Como match. Cristante's absence creates an opening in midfield, where Marten de Roon is increasingly favoured to start alongside Manu Koné. Two selection decisions remain unresolved. On the attacking midfield line, competition continues among Rodrigo Mora, Soulé and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Mora currently holding a slight edge. At the back, Evan N'Dicka appears to have the advantage over Balerdi, partly because the Ivorian has been able to train consistently at Trigoria during the international break. Roma CEO John Galanic was present at the training session on 9 October. Gasperini will conduct the final preparation session on 10 October before making his final team selection ahead of the journey to Como. The club is now nearly at full strength following the extended international window.

Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media on 10 October at 13:30 at Trigoria ahead of Roma's fixture at Como's Sinigaglia stadium. The head coach will field questions on team selection and player fitness as Roma prepare for the match. Bryan Cristante is ruled out with a knee problem. In midfield, Rodrigo Mora is expected to start as the attacking midfielder behind the strike pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala. At the back, there remains competition between Leonardo Balerdi and Evan N'Dicka for a defensive place.

Roma face Como in a tactical battle between Fabregas and Gasperini, two coaches with contrasting philosophies seeking to dictate play. Gasperini is considering deploying Rodrigo Mora on the trequarti in support of Dybala and Malen, a move with both technical and tactical significance. Against Como's four-man defence, this setup would allow Mora to exploit space between the lines and combine quickly with two players whose strengths complement each other: Dybala's ability to read situations others miss and Malen's capacity to attack space immediately. Marten de Roon is expected to anchor midfield, providing equilibrium and tactical knowledge of Gasperini's systems crucial against Como's possession-based approach. Evan N'Dicka is favoured over Leonardo Balerdi in defence, with Nahuel Molina and Wesley operating on the flanks. The match's decisive factor may lie on the wings. Como build superiority through passing and draw pressure to free players in space; Roma counterpress through individual aggression and advanced recovery. The fullbacks will be fundamental, needing to support attacking play without leaving the corridors Como exploits. Molina and Wesley could prove decisive both in pressing and by forcing Como's wingers to defend, preventing Fabregas's side from developing their game with continuity. The sides have met twice previously in contrasting circumstances. At the Olimpico, Roma imposed themselves through intense pressing, with Wesley scoring the decisive goal. In the return fixture, a side lacking clear attacking reference points gradually lost shape and ceded initiative to Como. However, this Roma present different offensive possibilities. The presence of Malen, Dybala's talent and Mora's potential deployment offer Gasperini solutions capable of troubling a well-organised team like Fabregas's. Roma must start aggressively, press immediately and prevent Como from gaining confidence in their passing patterns.

Antonio Tempestilli, the former Roma and Como player who spent twelve seasons equally divided between the two clubs from 1981 to 1993, has assessed the tactical battle ahead between the two sides as Roma prepare for their fixture at Como. Speaking on the eve of the match, Tempestilli weighed the strengths of both coaches: "Entrambi. Credo che si rispettino e si remano a vicenda: sono due che amano attaccare, giocare a viso aperto; fanno un gran calcio seppure con principi diversi; proprio per questo mi aspetto una gran partita" — both Fabregas and Gasperini respect each other and love to attack and play openly, making great football with different principles, which is why he expects a great match. On Roma's form, Tempestilli stressed the challenge of the international break: "Ti può dare qualche problemino con tanti giocatori fuori, in giro con le nazionali: bisogna vedere se c'è stato affaticamento, sperare che siano tornati tutti a posto…però vale per tutti, a cominciare dal Como. Ora bisogna riaccendere il tasto della mentalità che la Roma ha mostrato fino alla sosta. Gasperini in questo senso è una garanzia." The long pause poses risks with players scattered across nations, but the same applies to Como. Roma must reignite the mentality Gasperini has instilled before the break. On Leonardo Balerdi's emergence as a regular, Tempestilli noted: "Direi che come definizione ci può stare, viste le caratteristiche; quando Gasperini lo ha paragonato a Baresi chiaramente voleva intendere questo. È migliorabile sotto alcuni aspetti e con il lavoro a Trigoria lo sta già facendo, ma la tempra e il piglio battagliero mi piacciono molto." He described Balerdi as having an 1980s-style defender's character, and said having multiple centre-back options is a fortune for Gasperini given the high number of matches ahead. Regarding Gianluca Mancini's slow start, Tempestilli insisted the midfielder possesses the right mentality and experience to rediscover his leadership. On Lorenzo Pellegrini's potential involvement, Tempestilli said: "Gasperini sa valutare ogni particolare, a cominciare da condizione e motivazioni. Una cosa è certa: Pellegrini è un valore aggiunto, resta da porsi una domanda: che minutaggio ha nelle gambe?" Pellegrini is valuable added value, but his match fitness remains to be established. Looking ahead, Tempestilli cautioned against reading too much into any single result: "Troppo presto. Piedi per terra, perché il campionato è lungo. Al tempo stesso, una cosa possiamo permetterci di dirla: sognare è lecito." It is too early to identify an Inter challenger, he said, but dreaming is allowed.

Gian Piero Gasperini has described Roma's defence as "a defence of gladiators", praising the unit built around Gianluca Mancini, Mario Hermoso and goalkeeper Mile Svilar. Over the last two seasons since Gasperini's arrival, Roma have conceded the fewest goals in Serie A—just 34—one fewer than Como, who have already shipped 6 goals in their opening five matches of the 2026-27 season compared to their tighter record last year. When the comparison expands to Europe's top five leagues over the same two-season span, only Arsenal have kept a cleaner sheet record. The Premier League side, managed by Mikel Arteta, have conceded 31 goals across that period and won the league title before reaching the final against PSG. The Arsenal benchmark carries particular weight given Roma's own improvement in attack this season: the Giallorossi have already scored 14 goals in their first five matches, a stark contrast to last season when they managed just 5 goals across the same point in the campaign.

Bryan Cristante will miss Roma's away fixture against Como this weekend due to a knee problem. The midfielder has been Gasperini's most-used outfield player so far this season but is working to accelerate his recovery, targeting a return to the squad for the Champions League match against Real Madrid on 14 October. The Como–Roma clash pits two of Serie A's best-resourced ownership groups against each other. The Hartono family have invested approximately €390 million in Como's project, while Dan Friedkin has already exceeded €1 billion in Roma investment since 2020, reaching €1.06 billion when combining the club's acquisition and financial support. Roma's losses have fallen significantly from €219 million in 2021–22 to €54 million in 2024–25. The club remains committed to its new stadium project at Pietralata, scheduled for completion in 2029. The match is shaping up to be an international affair, with only one Italian—Gianluca Mancini—potentially among the 22 starting players, representing 13 different nationalities. Gasperini is evaluating Rodrigo Mora as a possible surprise inclusion, with the midfielder's stock rising particularly because Matías Soulé only returned to full training yesterday and will train with the group today alongside Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. In defence, the trio of Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso is expected to return.

Gian Piero Gasperini has described Roma's defence as "a defence of gladiators", praising the unit built around Gianluca Mancini, Mario Hermoso and goalkeeper Mile Svilar. Over the last two seasons since Gasperini's arrival, Roma have conceded the fewest goals in Serie A—just 34—one fewer than Como, who have already shipped 6 goals in their opening five matches of the 2026-27 season compared to their tighter record last year. When the comparison expands to Europe's top five leagues over the same two-season span, only Arsenal have kept a cleaner sheet record. The Premier League side, managed by Mikel Arteta, have conceded 31 goals across that period and won the league title before reaching the final against PSG. The Arsenal benchmark carries particular weight given Roma's own improvement in attack this season: the Giallorossi have already scored 14 goals in their first five matches, a stark contrast to last season when they managed just 5 goals across the same point in the campaign.

Bryan Cristante will miss Roma's away fixture against Como this weekend due to a knee problem. The midfielder has been Gasperini's most-used outfield player so far this season but is working to accelerate his recovery, targeting a return to the squad for the Champions League match against Real Madrid on 14 October. The Como–Roma clash pits two of Serie A's best-resourced ownership groups against each other. The Hartono family have invested approximately €390 million in Como's project, while Dan Friedkin has already exceeded €1 billion in Roma investment since 2020, reaching €1.06 billion when combining the club's acquisition and financial support. Roma's losses have fallen significantly from €219 million in 2021–22 to €54 million in 2024–25. The club remains committed to its new stadium project at Pietralata, scheduled for completion in 2029. The match is shaping up to be an international affair, with only one Italian—Gianluca Mancini—potentially among the 22 starting players, representing 13 different nationalities. Gasperini is evaluating Rodrigo Mora as a possible surprise inclusion, with the midfielder's stock rising particularly because Matías Soulé only returned to full training yesterday and will train with the group today alongside Santiago Castro and Leonardo Balerdi. In defence, the trio of Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso is expected to return.

Como and Roma will take the field at the Sinigaglia with a combined squad representing thirteen different nationalities, a striking illustration of Serie A's globalization. Among the twenty-two starting players, Gianluca Mancini could be the only Italian on the pitch, a detail that underscores how heavily Italian clubs now lean on international recruitment. The match will pit Cesc Fabregas's Como side, built around a Spanish core including Milla, Ramon, Valle and Roma's Mario Hermoso, against Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma—a tactical and mental duel of the highest calibre. The broader context reveals that nearly 72 per cent of players deployed across Serie A so far this season are foreign, confirming the league's decisive shift towards international profiles. Both Como and Roma maintain some of the youngest average ages in Italian football despite their cosmopolitan squads. The encounter promises individual battles throughout the pitch: Wesley and Couto's pace against the craft of Paulo Dybala and Nico Paz. With international breaks forcing late team evaluations, Gasperini faces decisions including a possible move to deploy young Rodrigo Mora in an attacking midfield role. The Sinigaglia is preparing to reveal the true alternative to Inter in the title race.