Torino vs Como
Torino vs Como Preview
Tuesday night in Turin and something genuinely has to give. Both Torino and Como arrive at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on the back of three consecutive wins, which makes this one of the more intriguing fixtures in Serie A this week. These are not two teams grinding out results and hoping for the best — they are both in form, both with momentum, and both with very different things to prove.
For Torino, the context is enormous. Three straight league wins is something this club has not managed in a single campaign since 2019, and new gaffer Ignazio Abate deserves real credit for the turnaround he has engineered. Not so long ago, the Granata were flirting with the wrong end of the table. Now they have 13 points from their last six matches, they are beating teams convincingly, and the Stadio Olimpico Grande is starting to feel like a proper home fortress again. Friday night’s 3-2 win over Monza, with Kian Fitz-Jim opening his Serie A account, summed up the mood perfectly — there is a belief running through this squad that was not there earlier in the season.
Como, though, are operating on a completely different level right now. They thumped Manchester United 4-1 in the Champions League midweek, then turned around and beat Sassuolo at the weekend with several key players rested. Seventeen points from eight games. In their third season back in the top flight. Cesc Fabregas has built something genuinely exciting on the shores of Lake Como, and if they keep picking up points on the road, a Champions League spot is not just a dream. Away wins matter, and they know it.
Torino vs Como Form
Torino’s recent run reads like a proper redemption arc. After a difficult start under Abate, the Granata have clicked into gear and back-to-back wins over Parma and Monza followed a solid home performance against Udinese. Three clean sheets have not always been on the menu, but the attacking output has been impressive — Che Adams, Giovanni Simeone and Sandro Kulenovic have all chipped in with goals, and wing-back Rafik Belghali now has four goal involvements in Serie A this term. Captain Nikola Vlasic has also finally ended an 11-match drought, which is a boost the dressing room will have felt. When your captain starts scoring again, it tends to lift everyone around him.
Como’s form is frankly ridiculous for a side that was in Serie B not so long ago. The Champions League win over United was historic, but the fact that Fabregas rotated heavily for the Sassuolo game and still won tells you everything about the squad depth they have assembled. Tasos Douvikas got two goals on Saturday to take his tally to goals in four consecutive appearances across all competitions. He is a handful. Nico Paz was rested at the weekend and will likely come back into the XI here, and when you add that level of quality in midfield to a front line that already has Douvikas in this kind of nick, Como are a serious proposition going forward.
Looking at the overall picture, Como edge it on the quality of opposition they have beaten, but Torino’s home form under Abate is trending in exactly the right direction. The Granata are not the walkover they might have been a couple of months ago, and anyone expecting an easy evening for the Lariani needs to think again.
Torino vs Como Head to Head
The head-to-head record between these two last season makes uncomfortable reading for Torino supporters. The first meeting in Turin ended 5-1 to Como after the sides were level at half time — the Granata conceded four goals in the second half and were absolutely turned over. Then, two months later in the reverse fixture, it got considerably worse. Douvikas struck twice in a 6-0 thrashing. That is eleven goals conceded in two league meetings against Como in a single season, which by any measure is a catastrophe. Torino were in a very different place back then — deep in a relegation battle, low on confidence, with a defence that was leaking goals at an alarming rate.
The question now is whether that history means anything at all given how dramatically Torino’s fortunes have changed under Abate. The honest answer is probably not much. These are different squads with different energy, and the Granata are not a side that rolls over these days. But Como will have that record in the back of their minds, and Douvikas in particular will carry some very good memories into this fixture.
Torino vs Como Lineups
For Torino, there is some positive injury news with Emirhan Ilkhan and Niccolo Fortini potentially back in contention after adductor and thigh problems respectively. Ricardo Rodriguez is not yet fit and will not feature until next week at the earliest, so the back line will need to be managed carefully. The expected XI of Perri in goal, with Comert, Ismajli and Coco as the defensive structure, Belghali and Cacciamani at wing-back, and Fitz-Jim, Mandragora and Vlasic through the middle, with Adams and Simeone as the attacking threat, looks solid on paper — assuming the returning players are available and fit enough to contribute.
Como have their own absentees to contend with. Trevoh Chalobah, Jesus Rodriguez and Assane Diao are all ruled out through injury, and Mattia Liberali has been dealing with a shin problem. The big question is whether Moise Kean is fit to return up front, because if not, Douvikas continues leading the line — and given his current form, that is far from a problem. Fabregas rotated heavily at the weekend, which means several rested players including Nico Paz are likely to come back into the starting XI here. The expected Como lineup has Butez in goal, a back four of Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf and Valle, Perrone and Milla in deeper midfield positions, with Addai, Paz and Baturina supporting Douvikas. That is a very strong attacking unit, even accounting for the injury absentees.
Torino vs Como Tactics
Abate has set Torino up in a way that suits the players he has available — a compact, organised defensive shape with real intent from the wing-backs when the chance comes to get forward. Belghali in particular has been a threat going forward, and the front pairing of Adams and Simeone gives them different options in the final third. They will look to be hard to break down, hit Como on transitions, and use the energy of a crowd that is genuinely excited about the direction this team is heading. They will not come out and try to impose themselves from the first whistle, but they are not a passive side either — they press with purpose and they can hurt you when they get men forward.
Como under Fabregas play a fluid, high-energy style that puts a premium on technical quality and positional intelligence. Paz is central to everything they do in the final third — his ability to drop into pockets, play the killer pass or drive at defenders makes him very difficult to handle. Douvikas is the focal point up front, strong in the air and clinical when chances arrive, and Baturina has been a creative force all season. The concern for Como is that they have rotated heavily, and even with rested players returning, there may be a slight mental fatigue after one of the biggest weeks in the club’s history. Managing that whilst maintaining the pressing intensity Fabregas demands will be the key challenge for the visitors.
Torino vs Como Prediction and Betting Tips
This is genuinely a difficult one to call with confidence, and I will be honest about that. Torino are in form and at home, but Como are a level above in terms of squad quality and are absolutely flying at the moment. The head-to-head record heavily favours Como, but Torino are a very different animal now compared to last season. My instinct is that goals will come at both ends — Douvikas is too dangerous to ignore, and Torino have shown they can score against good sides. A Torino win here would be a genuine shock, but they are capable of nicking it. However, laying Como feels risky given everything Fabregas has built this season.
The play here is goals — both teams have the firepower and the motivation to get forward, and the defensive fragility on both sides in different ways makes a tight, cagey affair unlikely. Over 2.5 goals looks the most sensible route into this game, and given both defences have been breached regularly in recent weeks, there is every reason to expect a lively night in Turin.