Como turned a level first half into a composed 2-0 Serie A victory over Sassuolo at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Saturday, with Tasos Douvikas scoring twice after the interval to settle the eighth-round meeting.
Key takeaways
- Douvikas struck in the 49th and 60th minutes, both times finishing from close range.
- Maxence Caqueret supplied Como’s first goal, while Kaiki created the second.
- Como made a triple change at half-time, introducing Jayden Addai, Luis Milla and Jacobo Ramón.
- Sassuolo responded with four substitutions after the hour but could not find a route back into the contest.
- Domenico Berardi, Yan Couto, Ignace Van der Brempt and Luis Milla were booked.
Como find the decisive edge after the break
The opening 45 minutes carried chances at both ends without delivering a goal. Como goalkeeper Stefano Turati was not seriously troubled, but the home side had to stay alert to Sassuolo’s moments in transition, including Kieron Bowie’s attempt from outside the area following a Benja Domínguez break.
Como had begun with greater attacking intent. Martin Baturina saw an early effort blocked, before Douvikas was denied after Yan Couto’s cross. Caqueret then tested Sassuolo with a low shot from the centre of the box, while Douvikas was again kept out after another Caqueret delivery.
Sassuolo’s best first-half opening came when Domenico Berardi headed a pass into Benja Domínguez’s path, but the attacker sent his effort high. Set pieces also offered the visitors a possible opening, although Ignace Van der Brempt fired over after a corner.
With the match still scoreless at the interval, Como refreshed their side immediately. Addai replaced Baturina, Milla came on for Samuele Ricci and Jacobo Ramón took the place of Willy Kambwala. The changes gave the hosts renewed energy, and the deadlock was broken four minutes into the second half.
Caqueret delivered from the right area of the attack and Douvikas converted from close in, placing his right-footed finish down the middle. Sassuolo had a prompt chance to answer through Bowie, whose effort went wide after Berardi’s pass, but Como had found the sharper rhythm.
Addai forced a low save soon afterwards, with Caqueret’s follow-up header blocked. The second goal arrived on 60 minutes and again belonged to Douvikas. Kaiki supplied the ball from the left and the Greek forward finished centrally to double Como’s lead.
Sassuolo’s response falls short
Sassuolo reacted by sending on Josh Doig, Armand Laurienté and Luca Lipani in the 62nd minute, with Nemanja Matić, Rafa Obrador and Benja Domínguez making way. Cristian Volpato later replaced Berardi, while Sebastiano Esposito entered for Vasilije Adžić.
The visitors did produce a stronger spell after falling two behind. Berardi had a shot blocked from inside the box, and Duje Ćaleta-Car headed narrowly wide from Adžić’s corner. Laurienté also saw a late effort blocked after Kieron Bowie set him up.
Yet Como continued to create opportunities to extend their advantage. Milla curled an effort just over, Lucas da Cunha headed wide from a Kaiki cross, and Addai had another attempt stopped. In added time, Jacobo Ramón also missed the target after a free-kick situation.
Como used their final substitutions to manage the closing minutes, bringing on Ivan Smolčić for Yan Couto and Adrian Lahdo for Da Cunha. Sassuolo’s late pressure did not alter the scoreline, leaving Como with a clean sheet and a result shaped by Douvikas’s clinical second-half contribution.
