Speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, the AS Roma coach was asked about Inter's dominance over his teams and whether their repeated victories made them his personal 'Hannibal'.
"I always look at our journey. Hannibal can be many, for a certain period it could have been Juventus, who won nine consecutive league titles and beat us, and maybe during that period I beat Inter," Gasperini said.
"Today Inter are the strongest and if you always look at the strongest you risk having frustration. In the last meeting, however, we had the feeling that we had got closer."
Gasperini was then asked whether Como could develop into a genuine Scudetto rival. He was highly complimentary of the club's progress and believes their rise can be sustained.
"Yes, they are good. As a team, as a project, as a club, they believe in their football. They have made giant steps, starting from the third division and reaching the Champions League. When you see people working so well you have to admire them."
"I don't think they are a flash in the pan: they not only have the resources, but also the ability, they will certainly be a rival for a long time."
Roma face Como next and Gasperini does not expect either side to approach the fixture cautiously.
"No. Everyone with their own characteristics, I think, will play for one result," he said.
Gasperini also discussed the arrival of Malen and the circumstances that brought the Dutch forward to Roma. He said the transfer emerged unexpectedly after other options became complicated.
"Sometimes the planets align and things happen that you wouldn't have thought of a few days before. He was a player we knew, he played for Borussia and Aston Villa. We also saw his characteristics in summer friendlies."
"Dovbyk had had an injury, as had Ferguson. There were several names, then suddenly I found out about this opportunity."
Gasperini explained that Malen's previous situation was not primarily technical.
"Malen was leaving not for a technical reason, but for a tactical reason. He wanted to be a centre-forward and I had always seen characteristics of a centre-forward in him."
"He controls, moves the ball and shoots: I had always seen these characteristics in him in particular. The closer he is to goal, the more deadly he is."
The Roma coach admitted Malen's early numbers have exceeded expectations, although he has set the striker a lower target.
"I said it a little to motivate him, telling him: 'Look, someone has reached 36'. But if he reaches 30, I'm actually happy," Gasperini said.