Como's win over Manchester United shows where Roma can strike
Como's 4-1 win over Manchester United on 21 October at the Sinigaglia offers Roma a blueprint for Tuesday's clash at Old Trafford, two weeks later. The match exposed where Michael Carrick's side are vulnerable, and Nico Paz was the standout, scoring twice and providing an assist.
Paz's first goal came after just two minutes. He received the ball at the edge of the box, found space between United's midfield and defence, took his time to control the ball and shot. Maguire dropped back instead of stepping out decisively to challenge him. A similar pattern appeared for the second goal: at 49', Paz had room to play a pass in behind for Douvikas, who beat Lammens. The third goal came from an error by Baleba, whom Paz pressed, before Paz recovered the ball and raced towards goal. Three different goals, but one common problem: United could not protect the central zone and could not reorganise when they lost possession. Como finished with 55% of the possession and a clear edge in the quality of their chances.
Bruno Fernandes acknowledged the problems. After the heavy defeat, the captain questioned the team's tactical approach, telling TNT Sports: “It was a choice by the staff not to press man-to-man. But when you give too much space to teams like that, you allow them to gain confidence.” He added: “Sometimes we have to be braver, take the risk of a higher press and put the opponents under pressure.” Carrick offered a different reading, pointing out that the pressing attempts in the second half also created new problems. That is the fault line: when United wait, they give up space between the lines, and when they press without proper coordination, they leave gaps behind their midfield.
Roma can exploit this. Gasperini has players suited to these areas. Soulé and Rodrigo Mora, moving behind Malen, can occupy the zones where Paz made the difference, Soulé with his ability to drift inside and create overloads, and Mora with his quick thinking, technique and runs into the box. Malen, in front of them, can attack the depth as soon as a gap opens between the defenders. Roma have 28 goals in their first ten league matches, a source of confidence, and the win at Udine, with Soulé, Mora and Malen all involved, showed the team can find different routes to goal.
Roma also met Como on 11 October, ten days before the United result. That match ended 0-0, with Roma holding out for almost all of the second half with ten men after Malen was sent off at 53'. Gasperini had to give up his attacking ambitions to protect the result, and he still limited Paz. The two games were very different, but they say something about both sides: Como dominated a fragile United, while Roma showed they can change their approach without losing their shape. On Tuesday, though, Roma will need their attacking version.
The article warns against assuming an easy win. United's crisis and Carrick's increasingly precarious position do not erase the quality of Bruno Fernandes, Mbeumo and Cunha, who are most dangerous when they can break in open space. Gasperini will need to find the right balance between aggression and cover. If Roma can get Soulé and Mora into the spaces left by United's midfielders, forcing the visitors' defence to choose between pressing out and protecting Malen, they could cause serious problems. The fault line has been identified; now Gasperini must widen it.
