Como 2-1 Roma: Late Winner Strengthens Serie A Top-four Bid

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Como took a major step towards Champions League qualification with a 2-1 comeback win over 10-man Roma, climbing to fourth place in Serie A and moving one point clear of both Roma and Juventus in the tense race for the final Champions League spot.

The result gives Cesc Fabregas' side control in the three-way battle behind Inter and AC Milan, who remain focused on the title fight, while Como, Roma and Juventus now appear locked in for a tight push to secure the last Champions League ticket.

The turning point arrived midway through the second half at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, when Roma defender Wesley collected a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Assane Diao after 64 minutes, leaving the visitors with 10 players at a crucial stage of the contest.

Como immediately capitalised on the extra player, using sustained pressure to tilt the match, and centre-back Diego Carlos forced the winner from close range inside the six-yard box, a scrappy finish that nevertheless sealed a vital success in Como’s push for a first appearance in the Champions League.

Earlier, Roma had seized control within the opening six minutes when Stephan El Shaarawy went down under a challenge from Diego Carlos inside the penalty area, and Donyell Malen converted the resulting spot-kick from 12 yards with composure to give the visitors an early 1-0 advantage.

Despite falling behind, Como created a stream of chances before half-time, with Nico Paz and Alex Valle both drawing sharp saves from Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar, while Jacobo Ramon struck the frame of the goal shortly before the interval as the hosts pushed hard for a leveller.

After the restart, Paz twice fired narrowly over the crossbar as Como increased the tempo, and the pressure finally told on the hour when Tasos Douvikas met a through ball from Valle and drilled a low shot inside the near post to bring the score back to 1-1.

Douvikas’ goal carried extra meaning for Como’s history books, as the Greek forward reached 10 league goals for the season, becoming the first player to hit double figures for the Lariani since Stefano Borgonovo scored 10 in the 1985-86 campaign, and the first foreign player to do so in Serie A for the club.

Stats from Como vs Roma and Champions League qualification battle

The numbers underlined Como’s superiority over Roma, with the home side posting 2.22 expected goals compared with Roma’s 0.86 xG, a clear gap that reflected the volume and quality of chances created by Fabregas’ team across both halves.

Roma still drew encouragement from Donyell Malen’s influence, as the Dutch forward, signed in the winter window, already stands as the Giallorossi’s leading Serie A scorer this season, recording seven goals in nine league appearances since arriving in January and providing a reliable outlet in attack.

Key match and season statistics from Como’s 2-1 win over Roma are shown below.

For Como, the comeback over Roma not only delivered three points and a place in fourth but also reinforced belief that Champions League football is within reach, while Roma and Juventus must now respond to keep pace in a tightly contested Serie A top-four race.