Home Italy Serie ASerie A | Como 2-1 Roma: Fabregas wins controversial Champions League battle

Serie A | Como 2-1 Roma: Fabregas wins controversial Champions League battle

by Jessica
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Skip to contentCOMO, ITALY - MARCH 15: Diego Carlos of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring their team's second goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)COMO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Diego Carlos of Como 1907 celebrates after scoring their team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Como fought back from a Donyell Malen penalty to beat 10-man Roma after Wesley’s controversial red card, leaping into that fourth Champions League spot.

This was an unexpected duel for Champions League qualification, as both teams were locked together in fourth place, albeit overtaken when Juventus beat Udinese last night. The hosts were coming off three consecutive victories, missing Jayden Addai with Maxi Perrone not fully fit, but surprised with a three-man defence. The Giallorossi still missed Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, with Evan Ndicka suspended. Manu Koné returned after skipping Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Bologna, while Mario Hermoso got his first start since February 2 and Stephan El Shaarawy since January 6.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Como got into a tangle playing out from the back and El Shaarawy pounced on the loose ball, brought down by Diego Carlos for an early penalty, converted hard and low into the near bottom corner by Donyell Malen.

COMO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Donyell Malen of AS Roma scores their team’s first goal from the penalty spotduring the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Nico Paz responded by testing Mile Svilar from a tricky angle, as did Alex Valle on the half-volley, while Wesley made a series of decisive blocks, including one to prevent a Sergi Roberto tap-in.

Jacobo Ramon only managed to get his thigh to the Maxence Caqueret cross and flicked it inches wide of the far post from six yards.

Como had a big chance just before half-time when Caqueret drew out Svilar and pulled it back generously for Nico Paz, only for the Argentine to fire over the bar.

Cesc Fabregas made a double attacking change at the restart and they paid off, because Tasos Douvikas sprung the offside trap on a Valle through ball and surprised Svilar at the base of the near post, squirming the finish under the goalkeeper’s body.

COMO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Anastasios Douvikas of Como 1907 celebrates with his team-mates after scoring their team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

There were chances at both ends, first Svilar flapping a loose ball away from Nico Paz mid-volley, then Malen’s counter-attack denied by a desperate block.

It went from bad to worse for Roma, because they went down to 10 men when Wesley was very harshly shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Assane Diao. There seemed to be barely any contact, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to his fall, but the VAR protocol meant they could not intervene.

COMO, ITALY – MARCH 15: Assane Diao of Como 1907 is challenged by Wesley and Devyne Rensch of AS Roma during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AS Roma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on March 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Da Cunha nutmegged Robinio Vaz for a curler inches wide of the far top corner from outside the box, then Martin Baturina turned over first-time from a similar position on the Douvikas lay-off.

Svilar flew to palm a Diao strike out from under the bar, then got down to parry the Ivan Smolcic low drive, but could do nothing as Diego Carlos pounced on the rebound from six yards. It was an ideal birthday gift, his first Serie A goal.

Da Cunha nearly added a third when he cut inside from the right and smashed a left-foot finish onto the crossbar.

Como 2-1 Roma

Malen pen 7 (R), Douvikas 59 (C), Diego Carlos 79 (C)

Sent off: Wesley 64 (R)

15-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giuseppe SinigagliaComoRoma

Live2 – 1

Player statistic

7' Donyell Malen
48' Wesley
Anastasios Douvikas(Assist: Álex Valle) 59'
Maxence Caqueret 63'
64' Wesley
Diego Carlos 73'
77' Daniele Ghilardi
Diego Carlos 79'

Como

Roma

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez
Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle
Defender

34

Diego Carlos
Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic
Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón
Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf
Defender

46′

20

Martin Baturina
Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret
Midfielder

67′

10

Nico Paz
Midfielder

77′

8

Sergi Roberto
Midfielder

46′

33

Lucas Da Cunha
Attacker

87′

99

Mile Svilar
Goalkeeper

87

Daniele Ghilardi
Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini
Defender

22

Mario Hermoso
Defender

70′

43

Wesley
Defender

19

Zeki Celik
Defender

70′

4

Bryan Cristante
Midfielder

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini
Midfielder

67′

17

Manu Koné
Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen
Attacker

67′

92

Stephan El Shaarawy
Attacker

56′

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga
Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda
Defender

7

Álvaro Morata
Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito
Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina
Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno
Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn
Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist
Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo
Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas
Attacker

46′

38

Assane Diao
Attacker

46′

23

Máximo Perrone
Midfielder

67′

17

Jesús Rodriguez
Attacker

77′

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt
Defender

87′

3

Angeliño
Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini
Goalkeeper

8

Neil El Aynaoui
Midfielder

97

Bryan Zaragoza
Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi
Goalkeeper

20

Lorenzo Venturino
Attacker

2

Devyne Rensch
Defender

56′

61

Niccolò Pisilli
Midfielder

67′

78

Robinio Vaz
Attacker

67′

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas
Defender

70′

24

Jan Ziolkowski
Defender

70′

BySusy Campanale

Original Article

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