Roma continues to fight for a place in international competitions after beating Como 2-1 at home. The team coached by Claudio Ranieri had to react after a difficult first half in which the visitors took the lead with a goal by Lucas Da Cunha.
However, adjustments in the second half allowed the comeback with goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Artem Dovbyk. With the win, the capital side reached 43 points and moved closer to the UEFA Conference League qualification zone, while Como remained at the bottom of the table.
A Difficult First Half for the Locals
From the start of the match, Como made it clear that they were not going to let themselves be easily dominated. After 8 minutes, the visitors had the first clear chance with a Lucas Da Cunha cross that found the head of Marc-Oliver Kempf, but his shot went just over the crossbar. Roma, for their part, were slow to generate real danger, relying more on individual attempts than on well-constructed team moves.
Despite the home side's efforts to control the tempo of the match, Como was orderly and dangerous in attack. Their persistence was rewarded in the 43rd minute, when Maximo Perrone slipped a perfect pass to Da Cunha.
The French striker received the ball in the area and scored with a precise shot to the far post, leaving goalkeeper Mile Svilar with no options. With the score at 0-1, the visitors went into the break with the advantage and the feeling that they could spring a surprise at the Olimpico.
Roma Reacts And Turns The Score Around
The second half was completely different. Claudio Ranieri made key changes to give his team more dynamism and Roma came out with a different attitude. Just 15 minutes into the second half, the home team equalized.
Zeki Celik broke down the right flank and sent a low cross into the box, where Saelemaekers controlled, latched onto it and shot. The ball deflected off a defender, throwing goalkeeper Jean Butez off his line and making it 1-1.
This goal changed the dynamics of the match. Roma began to play with more confidence, moving the ball with speed and finding spaces in the opponent's defense. The comeback was realized 30 minutes into the second half. Devyne Rensch received a long pass, reached the back line and launched a precise cross for Dovbyk, who appeared at the far post and pushed the ball into the back of the net.
With 2-1 on the scoreboard, Ranieri's team managed to turn around a game that had been complicated in the first half.
The match that could define the #SerieA 🇮🇹! Do you dare to predict the number of goals? 💸
🔥 The stat! In 10 of the last 12 previous meetings between #Napoli and #InterMilan less than 2.5 goals were scored.
Play now! ➡ https://t.co/HCS0drbkft pic.twitter.com/T4F4fZH3jR
- Betcris (@Betcris) March 1, 2025
A triumph that gives Roma hope after a thrilling close to the match
Despite being behind, Como did not give up and came very close to equalizing in the final minutes. At 43 minutes of the second half, Mergim Vojvoda surprised with a great individual play, entered the area and shot a shot that crashed against the post. The rebound fell to Patrick Cutrone, who tried to finish, but Svilar reacted in time to prevent the equalizer.
Roma also had one more chance to widen the gap before the end. In the last minute, Paulo Dybala played an individual move on the edge of the area and shot a low shot that was well contained by Butez. In the end, the scoreboard remained unchanged and the home side were able to celebrate a fundamental victory in their fight to enter European competitions.
With this victory, Roma moved up to eighth place in Serie A with 43 points, just four points behind the UEFA Conference League qualification zone. The team is also in great form and has now gone eleventh consecutive match without defeat.
Como, meanwhile, remain in 13th place with 28 points, six points above the relegation zone. Despite the defeat, Cesc Fàbregas' team gave a good account of themselves, showing that they can compete against higher-ranked opponents.
Roma must now focus on their next challenge in the Europa League, where they will face Athletic Club in a key match for their international aspirations. With the momentum of this victory, Ranieri's men are confident ahead of a match that could set the tone for their season.
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