Roma returned to winning ways in the Italian league on Monday, edging Como 1-0 at home in the closing match of the 15th round, and moved to within one point of third place.
Roma took a crucial step back toward the top end of Serie A on Monday night, edging Como 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to close out the 15th round and move to within one point of the podium places.
After a difficult spell that included two consecutive 1-0 defeats against Napoli and Cagliari, the giallorossi responded with a disciplined, patient performance that restored both momentum and belief at a key moment in the season.
The match itself was defined by tension rather than spectacle, especially before the interval. The first half remained scoreless, with Como doing well to keep their shape and Roma needing time to find the right angles and timing in the final third. Roma saw plenty of the ball and tried to build steadily through midfield, but clear openings were limited. Como defended compactly, closing lanes into dangerous central areas and forcing Roma to work the ball wide, where deliveries into the box were not consistently met with clean chances.
Roma also had to manage the psychological side of the contest. Coming off two narrow defeats, there was an obvious need to avoid desperation. Instead of forcing play, they kept moving the ball, pressed to recover possession quickly after losing it, and gradually increased pressure as the half progressed. The Olimpico crowd had to be patient, because the game did not offer the early breakthrough that might have settled nerves. Como, for their part, looked comfortable with the match rhythm for long stretches, focusing on staying organised and looking to counter when opportunities appeared.
After the restart, Roma returned with more urgency and clearer intent. The tempo increased, the passing became more vertical, and the home side began to play with greater conviction around the Como penalty area. That shift was rewarded in the 61st minute, when Brazilian defender Wesley França found the decisive moment. Striking the ball with his right foot, he scored the only goal of the match, a finish that turned a tight contest into a result that could reshape the immediate outlook of Roma season.
The identity of the scorer also mattered. A defender providing the winning goal in a close match often says something about the nature of the night: marginal gains, set pieces, second balls, and the importance of concentration. Roma did not need a high scoring display to make the point. They needed a win, a clean narrative, and evidence that they can manage pressure when the game refuses to open up. On this occasion, they got exactly that.
From that point, the game moved into a familiar late phase: Roma trying to control the final half hour with maturity, and Como searching for a way back without taking reckless risks. Roma focus shifted from creating constant chances to protecting the lead intelligently, keeping their defensive distances tight and avoiding the kind of individual errors that can turn a one goal advantage into a damaging draw. Como attempted to raise their threat, but Roma maintained structure and limited the visitors to lower quality situations, seeing the match out to secure three points that carry significant weight in the standings.
The league table context underlines how important this win was. Roma now have 30 points, sitting fourth and just one point behind Napoli in third on 31. Above them, AC Milan are second with 32 and Inter Milan lead the table with 33. In a season where the top positions are tightly grouped, a single result can swing the narrative quickly, and this victory brings Roma back into direct contact with the teams ahead of them. It also helps erase some of the immediate damage caused by the back to back defeats, particularly because those losses were also by the narrowest margin.
For Roma, the bigger takeaway is that the performance matched the needs of the moment. There are matches where style matters most, and others where the result is the priority. After two defeats, Roma required stability, defensive focus, and a return to the habit of winning. A 1-0 at home, settled by a single decisive action after the break, delivered that reset. It also gives them a platform to build on, because tight wins can strengthen confidence and reinforce game management principles that are essential over a long campaign.
Como, meanwhile, leave Rome with a second consecutive defeat, but their position remains competitive. They stay seventh with 24 points, which keeps them in the mix near the European qualification conversation, depending on how results develop around them. The challenge for Como is to ensure these narrow setbacks do not become a trend. Their defensive organisation for large stretches suggests they have a solid base, but turning resistant performances into points often depends on producing more threat in key moments and being more clinical when chances arise.
In summary, Roma did what strong sides must do after a stumble: they stopped the slide, took the points, and placed immediate pressure back on the clubs above them. With the podium now one point away, the race at the top remains open, and Roma have given themselves a timely opportunity to push higher over the coming weeks.
