AS Roma seem unstoppable right now but Como are coming off back-to-back wins over Napoli and Fiorentina. One more win and Come will surely guarantee their stay in Serie A for another season.
It's perfectly reasonable to say that Claudio Ranieri's Roma are playing the best football in Serie A right now. The Wolves continue their climb and are now just four points off the Top 6. Their last loss at home was almost three months ago in the first home game since the appointment of the Italian. Since then, Roma have just three losses in all competitions – to Milan in the Coppa Italia, to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, and one in Serie A against this exact opponent – Como.
Nevertheless, the Wolves have won nine of their last 10 matches at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring at least two goals in every game apart from the draw with Napoli. Their goal difference in those 10 home games is 31:6. Only Inter and Atalanta have scored more goals in front of their own crowd this season.
But while Roma are phenomenal right now, we find Como the more interesting team in this pairing. The Voltaics were in a fight for survival until two rounds ago and their performance this season has not included any consistency. But in the last two weeks, they beat Fiorentina away and then Napoli at home, which may have decided the fate of the Serie A title.
Beating Roma at the Stadio Olimpico seems utterly impossible at the moment, but the same was said about the Napoli game a week ago. The picture becomes even more interesting with the fact that Como already beat the Wolves once this season.
How the bookies view it: Higher odds than usual and good value
Bookmakers give the edge to Roma, but the odds seem surprisingly high. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the Wolves will play in the Europa League in a few days and are not expected to be perfect in the game against Como. Either way, you can pick the home side at 9/10, the draw at 5/2, or the away win at 3/1.
Recent head to head: Roma want revenge
As previously mentioned, Como beat Roma once this season in the reverse fixture in December. But then again, that wasn't such a huge surprise because Roma had huge problems in away games back then. That's the extent of the match data between the two teams, because their previous H2Hs date back to the early 2000s.
Players to watch: Shomurodov B2B?
Artem Dovbyk should remain sidelined for this fixture, which will open more opportunities for Eldor Shomurodov to shine. The 29-year-old Uzbek scored a goal and added an assist against Monza in the previous round, and seems to be enjoying the extended playtime since Dovbyk's injury.
Probable line-ups
Roma: Svilar, Ndicka, Mancini, Celik, Angelino, Kone, Paredes, Saelemaekers, Dybala, Soule, Shomurodov
Como: Butez, Smolcic, Goldaniga, Kempf, Valle, Cunha, Perrone, Strefezza, Caqueret, Diao, Paz
Anything else catch the eye?
It looks like bookmakers are expecting Claudio Ranieri to make some changes to keep his best players for the game against Bilbao on Thursday. We, on the other hand, expect the Wolves to give their best in both games and see huge value in the odds.
Roma have turned Stadio Olimpico into a fortress since the arrival of Claudio Ranieri and the only team to take a point at this stadium was Napoli. Como played two wonderful games in recent weeks, but we don't expect them to be prepared enough for what awaits them in Rome.
This Serie A match between Roma and Como will be played on and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Roma vs Como prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
