Fresh from defeat at San Siro against Inter, Como returns to the pitch on Monday night at the Olimpico against Roma. Gasperini’s team, after two league defeats against Napoli and Cagliari, bounced back in the Europa League against Celtic, winning 3-0 at Celtic Park thanks to a brace from Evan Ferguson. Two well-organized teams with a clear identity will face each other at the Olimpico. Monday night’s match will also be a clash between the best defense in the league, that of the Giallorossi (8 goals conceded), and the second-best defense in Serie A, that of Como (11 goals conceded, tied with Milan and Lazio).
Here are the words of Como 1907 head coach Cesc Fàbregas ahead of Roma-Como:
“I’m very curious and I think it’s a positive thing to face so many matches close together in January. It’s a new experience for me, for the players, and for the club: when you have little time to prepare for a game, you have to manage everything differently.
“I believe the defeat in Milan was entirely my responsibility. The players gave everything, they ran hard and tried their best. There are things to improve, both on my side and theirs, but this team has shown quality and a great attitude. In the last 25 matches, we’ve lost three: two against Inter and one against Bologna. The team competes, never gives up, and always wants to play with identity. That’s what I want to see: where we are and where we want to go.
“In Rome, I expect a physical match against a team that will attack us and has a lot of quality up front. We know Gasperini will prepare a game where we won’t have any breathing room. We’ll need a great performance if we want to bring home points.”
Roma
The Giallorossi, who will line up in Gian Piero Gasperini’s traditional 3-4-2-1 formation, will be without the suspended Celik, a real pillar of Roma’s defense so far this season. While Roma have the best defense in Serie A, they are also among the bottom ten teams in the league in terms of goals scored, with just 15. In attack, Gasperini has tried out various combinations, fielding either two second strikers and a center forward, Artem Dovbyk or Evan Ferguson, or alternatives with a ‘false 9’, in this case Paulo Dybala or Tommaso Baldanzi, in an attempt to give opposing defenses fewer points of reference. In the first half of the season, the Giallorossi’s key player has undoubtedly been Matias Soulé, who has scored four goals, working as a true attacking playmaker on the right wing and inside. In a team as intense, organized, and physical as Roma, Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné, a midfield duo with complementary characteristics, are excelling, providing balance and rhythm to Gasperini’s team. The impact of Brazilian winger Wesley, who arrived in the summer from Flamengo and immediately became a key player in the team, has also been significant. He has been used on both flanks, exploiting the verticality he can provide to offensive maneuvers, as demonstrated, for example, in the goal scored against Cremonese.
Shielded by the Cristante-Koné pairing, the Giallorossi’s three-man defense of Mancini, Ndicka, and Hermoso has been phenomenal so far this season, although Ivorian Ndicka may not be available for the match due to his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Previous encounters
The two teams have faced each other 16 times in Rome, with Roma winning 11, drawing four, and Como winning one. Como’s only victory came in the 1949/59 season, in the first ever match between the two clubs in the capital. Lipizer’s goal proved decisive in the 1-0 final score.
Squad list:
1 BUTEZ Jean
2 KEMPF Marc
3 VALLE Alex
6 CAQUERET Maxence
10 PAZ Nicolas
11 DOUVIKAS Tasos
14 RAMON Jacobo
17 RODRIGUEZ Jesus
18 MORENO Alberto
19 KUHN Nicolas
20 BATURINA Martin
22 VIGORITO Mauro
27 POSCH Stefan
28 SMOLCIC Ivan
31 VOJVODA Mërgim
33 DA CUNHA Lucas
34 DIEGO CARLOS
38 DIAO Assane
42 ADDAI Jayden
44 ČAVLINA Nikola
55 LE BORGNE Andrea
77 VAN DER BREMPT Ignace
99 CERRI Alberto
Match details
- Date: Monday 15th December 2025
- Kick-off: 20:45 CEST
- Stadium: Olimpico
- Referee: Feliciani
- Assistants: Scatragli – Palermo
Where to watch
- Italy: Sky Sport, Dazn
- Balkans: Arena Sport
- USA: CBS, DAZN, FOX
- Latin America: ESPN & Disney +
- South Korea: SPOTV
- MENA: Starzplay
- Rest of the world: Check local listings.
