Roma are the masters of a tight victory, and on a grim, dreary night in the capital, their first-half showing failed to excite.
After an opening 25 minutes that passed by without the slightest glimpse of opportunity or optimism, the home side began to apply pressure without unlocking a stubborn Como defensive line.
Wesley Franca should have done better when blasting over from just inside the box, although an army of Como defenders between the ball and the net forced him to try the spectacular.
The best move of the match came late in the opening half as Wesley broke away behind the defence, and his low cross found Evan Ferguson, but the Irishman could only place his shot straight at Jean Butez in the Como goal.
Both teams showed more urgency after the break, with Como rattling in as many shots in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as they did in the first 45 minutes, and Roma had a Bryan Cristante goal ruled out for offside.
When it came, the opener was equal parts brilliant and fortunate. A pulled muscle for Jayden Addai allowed Roma wing-back Devyne Rensch the space to cross from the byline, and with help from Matias Soule, the ball found its way to Wesley, who thumped home a low drive into the bottom corner.
Despite only holding a one-goal lead, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men rarely looked like squandering their advantage.
It was another night where, despite their meteoric rise, Como confirmed that they remain a level below the genuine big-hitters of this Serie A season, while Roma once again found a way to stay in the hunt for their first Scudetto for 24 years.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Wesley Franca (Roma)
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