Torino vs Como Prediction: Fàbregas' Fluid Attack Poised to Overpower Abate's Granata

Serie A Matchday 9 brings Torino and Como together at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on 27 October 2026, with the two sides heading in noticeably different directions. Torino sit eighth on 13 points after eight games, buoyed by three consecutive league wins, a run they haven't put together since 2019. Como are fifth on 17 points with a goal difference of plus seven, owners of the division's best defensive record and just one league defeat all season and they arrive having beaten Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League, which tells you something about where Fàbregas' side are right now.

This is the first time Ignazio Abate and Cesc Fàbregas have faced each other as managers. Abate took charge on 12 June 2026, replacing Roberto D'Aversa, who had himself succeeded Marco Baroni in February, while Fàbregas has been in the job since July 2024, when he took over from Moreno Longo after an interim spell. With no previous meetings between them, there is no track record to lean on and it will come down entirely to whose system wins the tactical argument on the day.

Torino's recent results have been encouraging: a 2-1 win at Udinese was followed by a 3-0 home victory over Parma and then a 3-2 comeback against Monza on 23 October to give them three wins from five league outings. Como's momentum is sharper still, with a 2-0 win over Sassuolo on 24 October, a 3-1 win against Fiorentina and then the United result in Europe all coming in quick succession. They are converting their chances consistently and haven't looked remotely fragile at the back.

Torino are carrying a worrying number of absences. Emirhan Ilkhan is a doubt with an adductor tear, unlikely to return before 30 October, Niccolo Fortini is out with a thigh and adductor problem, Ricardo Rodriguez is sidelined with a thigh issue, and Franco Israel remains absent with a longer term shoulder injury. Losing that much defensive and midfield cover in one go places the remaining wing backs under serious pressure to hold the 3-5-2 shape for ninety minutes. Como are without Trevoh Chalobah, Jesus Rodriguez, Assane Diao, Mattia Liberali and Moise Kean, though given how good Caqueret and Paz are at the heart of things, it is hard to see those absences mattering much in the middle of the pitch.

Torino's 3-5-2 relies on pace on the break, with Che Adams leading the scoring on three goals and combining well with Giovanni Simeone, who holds the ball up when Torino want to build, while Nikola Vlasic provides creativity from deeper positions and Rolando Mandragora anchors midfield. With Ilkhan and two defensive starters missing, though, the wing backs are going to be run ragged, which is exactly the kind of space Como's attackers are designed to exploit.

Caqueret sitting deep to win the ball and Paz operating between the lines gives Como control of the tempo from the off. They have conceded fewer goals than anyone else in Serie A this season and Douvikas is their most dangerous runner: his timing when the second striker drops and the space opens in behind is a serious problem for any defence already under strain, supported in attack by Martin Baturina and Paz as the creative hub connecting midfield to attack. The battle between Mandragora and Caqueret in central midfield will probably shape the game. If Mandragora wins the second balls and plays quickly to Vlasic before Como can reset, Torino have a route into the match. If Caqueret and Paz dictate instead, Douvikas will be running at a back three without cover on either side, which feels like the most loaded matchup on the pitch.

Como have won three of the last four Serie A meetings between the sides, including a 5-1 and a 6-0 and while older records lean toward Torino, the last few years have belonged to Como and they arrive knowing it.

Como's defensive organisation makes them difficult to hurt from dead balls and Torino, looking to get Adams and Simeone on the end of crosses, are going to find that a hard route against a side this compact and disciplined. Paz and Baturina, meanwhile, are accurate enough to find Douvikas from set pieces.

We are going with 0-2 to Como. Torino's three match winning run counts for something but losing Ilkhan, Fortini, Rodriguez and Israel in one go leaves them genuinely short against a team this dangerous. Como have kept more clean sheets than any other side in the division and Paz and Douvikas have the quality to punish every gap that opens behind Torino's overworked wing backs. Fàbregas' side have lost only once in the league all season. With Douvikas facing a back three missing two of its usual starters, Fàbregas will know exactly where to aim.