Como move closer to the Champions League dream after defeating Roma

Cesc Fabregas is on the brink of setting a record as the first manager to take Como to the UEFA Champions League tournament after a comeback win against AS Roma in the Italian Serie A, as the fight for the top four heats up.

In-form striker Donyell Malen has put Gialorossi ahead from the penalty spot before Como turned the tables to beat 10-man Roma, a win that sees them leap into that fourth Champions League spot.

It was the last Champions League spot at stake, making this an unexpected duel for the money-spinning European clubs competition. 

Both teams were locked together in fourth place before, albeit overtaken when Juventus beat Udinese last night.

Como have been in great form coming off three consecutive victories.  

Fabregas was without Jayden Addai and Maxi Perrone, who are not fully fit. The manager went with a three-man defence, surprisingly, and they got the job done.

Giant Piero Gasperini already have several players on the treatment table. Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson are carrying one knock or the other while Evan Ndicka is suspended.

 Stephan El Shaarawy, who returned to action on January 6, punished the hosts as they chose to play out from the back and got into a tangle.  

El Shaarawy pounced on the loose ball, brought down by Diego Carlos for an early penalty. 

Malen stepped up and converted hard and low into the near bottom corner to give the visitors the lead.

Nico Paz tested Mile Svilar from a tricky angle while Alex Valle was also on the half-volley.  Wesley made a series of decisive blocks in the process,  including one to prevent a Sergi Roberto tap-in.

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

There was a big chance for Como before half-time when Caqueret drew out Svilar, released a pull-back for Nico Paz, who fired his shot over the bar.

Fabregas made a double attacking change in the second, and that paid off.  Tasos Douvikas restored parity for the hosts when he sprung the offside trap on a Valle through ball at the base of the near post and squirmed the finish under the Svilar’s body.

It then became an open game that produced chances at both ends. 

Svilar flapped a loose ball away from Nico Paz mid-volley, then a desperate block stopped Malen’s counter-attack.

 Roma suffered a blow as they went a man down, as Wesley was very harshly shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Assane Diao. 

There seemed to be no contact, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to his fall, but the VAR protocol could not intervene.

With an additional man advantage for Como, they continued to dominate as Da Cunha nutmegged Robinio Vaz for a curler inches wide of the far top corner from outside the box. 

Martin Baturina then turned over for the first time from a similar position on the Douvikas lay-off.

Diao forced Svilar into a flying save from under the bar, before parrying Ivan Smolcic’s low drive.

However, the goalie could do nothing as Diego Carlos pounced on the rebound from six yards to score his first Serie A goal on his birthday.

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