Serie A Matchday 6 sees Como host Roma at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on 11 October 2026. Roma arrive as unbeaten league leaders with 13 points and a +11 goal difference from five games, while Como sit eighth on 10 points and have not quite shaken off their first defeat of the season, a 0-2 loss at Frosinone on 20 September.
Cesc Fàbregas and Gian Piero Gasperini have never met in a top flight dugout. Fàbregas took charge of Como on 18 July 2024, converting from caretaker to permanent manager after Osian Roberts' departure, whereas Gasperini arrived at Roma on 6 June 2025 to replace Claudio Ranieri. Where Fàbregas builds patiently from the back through a single creative hub in Nico Paz, Gasperini wants to win the ball high and move in quick, direct transitions.
Como's last five reads L-W-W-W-D. The Frosinone loss looks like an aberration: before it came a 4-1 home win over Genoa on 4 September and a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig on 10 September in their first ever Champions League match, which showed that their press resistant build-up can function well above the level of most Serie A opposition. Roma's form reads D-W-W-D-W, dropping points only twice in five games, with a 2-2 draw with Inter, a 4-0 thrashing of Lecce and a 1-1 Champions League draw with Fenerbahce among those outings.
Ivan Smolcic is a doubt through illness, leaving Como short of their preferred defensive pairing, whereas Roma are missing Bryan Cristante with a knee injury, forcing Manu Kone to handle the defensive screening work that would ordinarily be shared.
Como's 4-2-3-1 is built on possession and vertical transitions, with Fàbregas demanding high control from the back and Paz functioning as the creative engine in the number ten role. Paz's vision and range of passing are what Roma will be most eager to shut down: if Roma's midfield pair can press the moment the ball arrives at his feet, forcing a backwards pass before he can turn, Como's build-up stalls. Martin Baturina can arrive late into the box from attacking midfield and without Smolcic the full backs may be pushed further into build-up, potentially leaving space behind them.
Roma line up in Gasperini's 3-4-2-1, with Donyell Malen leading the line after returning from injury with around six goals already and Dybala operating between the lines. Cristante's absence means Kone must cover the defensive screening duties alone and if Como can survive the first press and find Paz in space, there could be gaps to exploit in the second line. The central battle is Paz against Roma's double pivot: if Como can progress past the press, Paz and Baturina can threaten Roma in the half spaces but if they cannot, Roma's wing backs will push high to serve Malen in behind against a high defensive line. With Smolcic doubtful, Como may not have the pace at the back to handle those runs.
Como have won their last three home Serie A meetings against Roma, including a 2-1 win in March 2026 and a 2-0 win in December 2024, though Roma's status as unbeaten league leaders makes that record harder to lean on than it might look.
Roma have scored from set pieces in each of their last three league matches under Gasperini and Como have looked shaky against aerial deliveries recently, so corners and free kicks could prove decisive. The Leipzig win showed that Como's press resistant build-up can cope with high intensity pressure, which matters given that Roma press harder than most sides they have faced this season but Roma are unbeaten in five and carry the best defensive record in the division.
Como 1-2 Roma. Roma's press should be enough to prevent Paz from controlling the game and with Smolcic doubtful and Kone carrying the screening load alone, Como may simply lack the pace in their defensive line to stop Malen running in behind. Como have won their last three home meetings against Roma but Roma's ability to score through set pieces, transitions and individual quality from Dybala means Como would need a near-perfect defensive performance to take anything from this.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
