Roma return to Serie A with Paulo Dybala at the centre of their plans, and Sunday’s trip to Como offers a meeting of Argentine attacking talent across two generations. Nico Paz represents the newer face of that tradition; Dybala, at 32, remains the player Roma look to when a match needs invention, control and a decisive touch around the penalty area.
An Argentine contest in Como
The occasion arrives shortly after Lionel Messi’s emotional farewell to the Argentina national team at Buenos Aires’ Monumental. In Italy, attention turns to two players shaped by the same football culture: Dybala and Paz, both comfortable between midfield and attack and both carrying the expectations that accompany an Argentine No. 10.
There are almost 11 years between them. Dybala was born on 15 November 1993, while Paz was born on 8 September. Yet the immediate issue is not succession. Dybala has given Roma reason to believe that his influence can extend well beyond this season.
- Roma face Cesc Fabregas’ Como on Sunday.
- Dybala is expected to operate behind centre-forward Donyell Malen.
- Lorenzo Pellegrini is likely to join him in the attacking midfield area.
- Roma want to reconnect with goals and victories while protecting their position at the top of the table.
A fifth Roman season with a different physical rhythm
In his fifth campaign with Roma, Dybala has altered the story that accompanied much of his earlier time in the capital. He missed 49 matches across his first four years in yellow and red, but this season has been marked by continuity. He has not missed a training session since the summer and worked at Trigoria during the international break to sharpen his condition further.
The club’s decision to keep him in Rome meant he could not travel to Argentina for Messi’s international farewell. Roma judged that long intercontinental flights were unnecessary so close to important league and cup commitments.
That careful management has been reflected in his workload. Dybala has played 497 minutes since the start of the season, placing him among Roma’s three most-used outfield players. Only Bryan Cristante, with 514 minutes, and Mario Hermoso, with 509, have spent more time on the pitch.
- 497 minutes played this season.
- Four assists.
- Three further goals created through his involvement.
- No goal since Roma’s 2-0 win away to Torino on 18 January.
Gasperini’s demand for a sharper final act
Gian Piero Gasperini has praised Dybala’s natural relationship with the ball, describing him as a player who seemed born with it at his feet. But the coach also wants more from Roma’s most consistently available attacking reference.
The request is for greater menace inside the area: more bursts beyond defenders, more dribbles, more acceleration and more forceful attempts on goal. Dybala’s long wait for a goal has now reached 13 matches, although his performance against Inter before the break provided encouraging evidence that the direction is changing.
He took four shots at Inter goalkeeper Martinez in that major clash at the summit, a sign that Roma’s forward creator is again reaching positions from which he can decide games rather than merely shape them.
More than a passing duel
Dybala’s renewed fitness recalls the physical reliability he showed in earlier stages of his career, including his Palermo days and Juventus’ 2015-16 season, when he was 22. His summer preparation has been designed to preserve that energy, and Roma believe the work completed during the break has added another layer to it.
Against Como, Paz will provide an intriguing counterpart, but Dybala’s task is more immediate. Roma need their senior Argentine playmaker to turn possession and pressure into a result. The match is an opportunity to show that his second phase in the capital is not simply about durability, but about the goals, assists and leadership that can still carry a side through a long championship season.
