Gollini: I told Svilar to relax. I felt good in the match

Gian Piero Gasperini and Como manager Cesc Fabregas share mutual respect but are not friends, a dynamic that played out both before and after their sides met on 11 October. Before kickoff, the two coaches spoke at length during the pre-match greeting, with Gasperini covering his mouth to conceal what he was saying—a detail reflecting the tactical caution between two managers conscious of keeping their plans hidden. The match itself ended in a draw, with Roma playing as the dominant side and rarely facing sustained pressure from Como. Donyell Malen's expulsion shifted the balance of play, but Gasperini reacted effectively to restore equilibrium to his team during a difficult period. After the final whistle, DAZN cameras captured the two managers continuing their discussion outside the stadium in a relaxed atmosphere. The encounter showed a cordial tone between coaches who had approached the fixture with deliberate restraint beforehand. Despite the match's anticipated intensity, the contrasting moods before and after—from guarded pre-game exchanges to genial post-match conversation—underscored the professional respect between the two.

Roma earned a valuable point at Como despite being affected by a refereeing error, with Gasperini keeping his side compact and organized. For more than 85 minutes, the coach kept Paulo Dybala on the pitch as the focal point of the attack. Shortly after Donyell Malen was sent off, Santiago Castro removed his bib, ready to enter the match in what appeared to be Dybala's replacement. Gasperini changed his mind. "He was attracting the ball, helping us breathe," Gasperini explained after the match. "It was him who convinced me to keep him on." Dybala's ability to win possession cleanly and help Roma escape the press proved crucial at that moment, and the coach recognized the tactical need. Castro will have his opportunity coming up against Genoa, partly due to Malen's absence.

Donyell Malen's dismissal in Roma's draw at Como has become a focal point of debate, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini arguing that referee Fabbri should have blown for a foul before the contact that led to the red card. Gasperini said: "Basta con i fotogrammi" (enough with the stills), emphasizing a straightforward point: had Fabbri whistled for a foul first, nothing would have happened. The decision proved costly, denying Roma the chance to return from Como with three points. Malen faces a one-match ban, possibly two. The dismissal has invited comparison to a second-round match between Como and Parma, where Caqueret committed what the article describes as a far graver foul but received only a yellow card from Colli. The inconsistency highlights what appears to be a disparity in officiating standards. Como manager Fabregas made no public comment on that incident. Roma delivered a spirited performance despite the numerical disadvantage, competing on level terms and holding firm to the final whistle. The focus now shifts to their next fixture: a meeting with Real Madrid.

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.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's 0–0 draw at Como and praised Paulo Dybala's performance after Donyell Malen's dismissal left the team playing more than 30 minutes with ten men. Gasperini said: "Credo che Dybala sia stato straordinario anche una volta in 10 nel secondo tempo a ripulire delle situazioni che non erano facili in inferiorità. Lui come i suoi compagni hanno fatto una gara di grande spessore. Non ricordo palloni persi, forte nello spunto peccato per l'occasione del primo tempo in cui poteva fare gol. Anche oggi prestazione straordinaria." The coach kept Dybala on the pitch rather than introducing Santiago Castro, saying the forward "gave us breathing room" and was "continuous for all 90 minutes." Gasperini disputed the severity of Malen's red card, criticizing the use of frame-by-frame analysis to adjudicate fouls. He argued there was "a foul repeated on him" beforehand and said: "Non c'è di sicuro l'intenzionalità… Questo è stato un episodio che ha imbruttito la partita, così lo è diventato un po' meno." When shown a still image of the incident, Gasperini became animated: "Fermando il fotogramma è facile! Il calcio è fatto di azioni così si può giustificare tutto Non c'è nessuna voglia e di fare male da parte di Malen, è ora di smetterla con i fotogrammi perché falsificano la realtà! Adesso si vede un calcio più vero, non torniamo indietro von questi fotogrammi assurdi." Gasperini also praised goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, saying he "was good with his feet, attentive and precise," adding that "he is a goalkeeper who will know how to replace Svilar very well." Looking ahead, Gasperini acknowledged the difficulty of Roma's next fixture: "Il Real è una squadra di campioni incredibili, sia in campo che in panchina. Affrontiamo una delle squadre più forti in Europa." He reflected on José Mourinho's legacy at the club but noted his current squad is "another type of team" and that "the lads are giving me lots of satisfaction."

Gian Piero Gasperini held his post-match press conference following Roma's 0–0 draw at Como in Serie A matchday six, where Donyell Malen was sent off in the first half. Gasperini defended his forward's dismissal, saying: "Saying that Malen plays violent football is hard to sustain. He had momentum after being held back and also touched the ball. What is ugly is the jump, but there is no intent on Malen's part. Certainly it was an episode that marred the match. It was a beautiful game and it became less so. Football is not made of stills but of actions, otherwise you can justify everything. There is no will nor determination to hurt from Malen. It's time to stop with the stills—they distort reality. We have suffered this for years, finally this year we see truer football. Please, let's not go backwards." Despite playing two-thirds of the match in numerical inferiority, Roma held firm defensively. Gasperini praised Paulo Dybala's performance in the second half after Malen's exit: "I believe Dybala was extraordinary once we went down to 10 in the second half, cleaning up difficult situations. I believe he, like his teammates, played a match of great substance. I don't recall him losing balls, a shame only for that situation in the first half when he could have scored. But today too it was an extraordinary performance." On his team selection, Gasperini explained he considered bringing Santiago Castro on for Dybala after Malen's dismissal but changed his mind: "Once Malen came off that was the ideal solution on the pitch. Dybala convinced me as we went along, he started to gather several balls, give us the chance to breathe and get out. There were a few situations where a counterattack could almost have started. He was the one slightly more penalized because he had to move between Como's two centre-backs but he did it with great intelligence and true quality as a footballer who knows the game." Gasperini also credited goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini's contribution: "Gollini was undoubtedly strong, also in distribution with both feet and hands. The squad put him in this situation, he was attentive and precise. The squad put him in the best conditions. He is a goalkeeper who will know how to replace Svilar very well." Looking ahead to Roma's next fixture against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Gasperini acknowledged the scale of the challenge: "Real Madrid is a squad of incredible champions, both on the pitch and on the bench. We face one of the best teams in absolute terms, among the strongest in Europe, which made an extraordinary market. Mourinho left a memory and extraordinary affection at Roma, but now our squad is another type—very different from the one that played with Mourinho, which is giving me great satisfaction."

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.

Gian Piero Gasperini defended Roma's 0–0 draw at Como and praised Paulo Dybala's performance after Donyell Malen's dismissal left the team playing more than 30 minutes with ten men. Gasperini said: "Credo che Dybala sia stato straordinario anche una volta in 10 nel secondo tempo a ripulire delle situazioni che non erano facili in inferiorità. Lui come i suoi compagni hanno fatto una gara di grande spessore. Non ricordo palloni persi, forte nello spunto peccato per l'occasione del primo tempo in cui poteva fare gol. Anche oggi prestazione straordinaria." The coach kept Dybala on the pitch rather than introducing Santiago Castro, saying the forward "gave us breathing room" and was "continuous for all 90 minutes." Gasperini disputed the severity of Malen's red card, criticizing the use of frame-by-frame analysis to adjudicate fouls. He argued there was "a foul repeated on him" beforehand and said: "Non c'è di sicuro l'intenzionalità… Questo è stato un episodio che ha imbruttito la partita, così lo è diventato un po' meno." When shown a still image of the incident, Gasperini became animated: "Fermando il fotogramma è facile! Il calcio è fatto di azioni così si può giustificare tutto Non c'è nessuna voglia e di fare male da parte di Malen, è ora di smetterla con i fotogrammi perché falsificano la realtà! Adesso si vede un calcio più vero, non torniamo indietro von questi fotogrammi assurdi." Gasperini also praised goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, saying he "was good with his feet, attentive and precise," adding that "he is a goalkeeper who will know how to replace Svilar very well." Looking ahead, Gasperini acknowledged the difficulty of Roma's next fixture: "Il Real è una squadra di campioni incredibili, sia in campo che in panchina. Affrontiamo una delle squadre più forti in Europa." He reflected on José Mourinho's legacy at the club but noted his current squad is "another type of team" and that "the lads are giving me lots of satisfaction."

Gian Piero Gasperini held his post-match press conference following Roma's 0–0 draw at Como in Serie A matchday six, where Donyell Malen was sent off in the first half. Gasperini defended his forward's dismissal, saying: "Saying that Malen plays violent football is hard to sustain. He had momentum after being held back and also touched the ball. What is ugly is the jump, but there is no intent on Malen's part. Certainly it was an episode that marred the match. It was a beautiful game and it became less so. Football is not made of stills but of actions, otherwise you can justify everything. There is no will nor determination to hurt from Malen. It's time to stop with the stills—they distort reality. We have suffered this for years, finally this year we see truer football. Please, let's not go backwards." Despite playing two-thirds of the match in numerical inferiority, Roma held firm defensively. Gasperini praised Paulo Dybala's performance in the second half after Malen's exit: "I believe Dybala was extraordinary once we went down to 10 in the second half, cleaning up difficult situations. I believe he, like his teammates, played a match of great substance. I don't recall him losing balls, a shame only for that situation in the first half when he could have scored. But today too it was an extraordinary performance." On his team selection, Gasperini explained he considered bringing Santiago Castro on for Dybala after Malen's dismissal but changed his mind: "Once Malen came off that was the ideal solution on the pitch. Dybala convinced me as we went along, he started to gather several balls, give us the chance to breathe and get out. There were a few situations where a counterattack could almost have started. He was the one slightly more penalized because he had to move between Como's two centre-backs but he did it with great intelligence and true quality as a footballer who knows the game." Gasperini also credited goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini's contribution: "Gollini was undoubtedly strong, also in distribution with both feet and hands. The squad put him in this situation, he was attentive and precise. The squad put him in the best conditions. He is a goalkeeper who will know how to replace Svilar very well." Looking ahead to Roma's next fixture against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Gasperini acknowledged the scale of the challenge: "Real Madrid is a squad of incredible champions, both on the pitch and on the bench. We face one of the best teams in absolute terms, among the strongest in Europe, which made an extraordinary market. Mourinho left a memory and extraordinary affection at Roma, but now our squad is another type—very different from the one that played with Mourinho, which is giving me great satisfaction."

Como manager Cesc Fabregas reflected on his side's 0–0 draw against Roma, describing it as an unusual stalemate between two attacking teams. Speaking to DAZN after the match, Fabregas said: "Sometimes football cannot be explained. We are two offensive and propositive teams, a 0–0 is not normal. Perhaps after the red card the match changed, but it was a beautiful game between two teams that respected each other. Both wanted victory. To play against Roma you need plenty of personality, then tactics come in. We had the courage to play, especially 11 against 11 I think it's one of the best performances Como have put in against Roma since I've been here." Fabregas acknowledged regret over Como's failure to capitalise on their numerical advantage late in the contest. "We are in a growth process and did not know how to manage our superiority," he explained. "It required more patience and faster ball circulation. We did not concede any counterattacks with the extra man and that is not a given—when you push forward you risk being exposed defensively and it did not happen." He praised his team's defensive discipline, noting that they created chances for Douvikas, Diao and Nico Paz, though none found the net. On his tactical setup, Fabregas defended his choice to select Caqueret over Baturina. "Sometimes players deserve something. Today Caqueret deserved to play, it was my feeling. I must keep Max in, he is not on the Champions League list. Today was a very important match and I saw him playing very well." Fabregas also drew lessons from Inter's performance against Roma's coach Gasperini: "The best team for me, Inzaghi's Inter, did poorly against Gasperini; from there I must draw conclusions and start preparing matches. In this sense the squad pleased me a lot." On N'Dicka's defensive prowess, Fabregas observed: "N'Dicka is a general. I watch many Roma matches and, always being the last man against strong attackers, if you are not a phenomenon you cannot play like that." He also defended the red card decision as subjective: "It is a personal opinion, I can think different things too, they are points of view. As a player I was sent off in the same manner with a very similar foul; it depends on the dynamic. For me Wesley's red card against Diao was clearer. N'Dicka would never have taken him down, no doubt about it."

Yan Couto spoke to DAZN after a draw between his Como side and Roma, highlighting the opposition's defensive organisation. "Happy with this first clean sheet," Couto said. "Both teams could have scored, we played well in the first half, it was a balanced match. We learn a lot from these games against strong opponents. Roma defended well in the second half in 10." The Como defender explained his tactical positioning during the contest. "Today there was one-on-one defending to do. I was lower to defend and with my movements we could come out of the pressure. I had to attract the man and create space for my teammates," he said. Couto also reflected on his recent performances at Como after two difficult years in Germany. "I feel confidence from everyone, I'm happy to be here after two complicated years in Germany. I'm arriving at the level where I want to be. We've already grown a lot and I'm learning to know my teammates better," he explained. Couto clarified his individual battle during the match, noting that his primary focus was defending against Pellegrini in the first half rather than Wesley, Roma's left-back. "I didn't defend much against Wesley but against Pellegrini in the first half. We expected them to press high. Sometimes I was too close to Ramon and we spoke about that thing. Wesley attacked and defended well like me, it was a nice match," Couto said. The performance represented another opportunity for Couto to build his confidence as he continues his development at Como.

Pierluigi Gollini spoke to DAZN after Roma's draw with Como, reflecting on his first Serie A appearance in two years. On the Wesley-Diao contact at the end of the first half, Gollini said: "From where I was I didn't see anything, I'm seeing it all now. They collide..." Asked about his performance after such a lengthy absence from Serie A competition, he acknowledged the challenge: "I approached it maybe with different tension than usual—not playing for so long, anyone feels it. It was difficult." Gollini was keen to praise his teammate and direct competitor for the goalkeeper position. "I want to tell Svilar to stay calm and recover to the maximum. We're all waiting for him. He's a great professional and a great person; we have a strong relationship. For me today is a reward. Everything I've achieved in my career I've earned through work and hard graft, trying to be ready. There's a circle in life—when you behave well and act professionally, the wheel turns in the end," he said. Svilar reportedly told him recently in Rome to "go out and enjoy your moment," and Gollini stressed: "I'm here to give Roma a hand when needed." Gollini highlighted the mental side of his performance despite the long layoff. "Who wouldn't have doubts after two years without a Serie A match? I played the match this week at a mental level. I felt great mentally and good in the match—I entered an optimal state and felt fluid despite not playing for so long. Mental state makes the difference, then everything else follows. The optimal psychological state helped me deliver the performance." He also praised his positioning and decision-making, noting his timing on exits had been sharp throughout the fixture.