Como’s first Champions League campaign reached another extraordinary height at the Stadio Sinigaglia, where the Italian debutants dismantled Manchester United 4-1 and Nico Paz delivered the performance that turned a big night into a landmark one.
Six seasons after their supporters were following the club in Italy’s third tier, Como have now scored four times against one of Europe’s established giants. At the centre of it was Paz, the 22-year-old Argentine who struck twice and created another goal as Cesc Fàbregas’ side made a statement far beyond Lake Como.
Nico Paz answers the noise
- Paz had gone three matches without a goal or an assist, against Frosinone, Roma and Feyenoord, prompting scrutiny around a player whose influence has become central to Como.
- After a run of three games without victory, he responded in Florence with a goal and an assist in Como’s 3-1 win over Fiorentina, whose side included his compatriot Mastantuono.
- He then took that form into the meeting with United, producing two goals and an assist in a 4-1 Champions League victory.
His second goal came with Como already 3-0 up and captured the scale of his contribution. Paz did the defensive work, won possession, drove forward towards goal and finished with a precise left-footed effort inside the post.
Across the opening three Champions League matchdays, only Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé, each with six goal involvements, have recorded more than Paz’s five. His display against United also placed him alongside a notable Argentine reference point: at 22 years and 43 days, he became the youngest Argentine since Lionel Messi, against Bayern in April 2009 at the age of 21, to directly contribute to three goals in a Champions League match.
“This is one of the most special nights of my life and my career,” Paz said. “It is not only special for me, but for the club and the supporters as well. We played one of the greatest teams of all time, and to achieve this at home is incredible. It is historic. This is our first Champions League season and we have to make the most of it.”
Fàbregas’ makeshift side controls the night
Como were without Assane Diao, their second-highest scorer this season with five goals, as well as Moise Kean, Jesús Rodríguez and defender Trevoh Chalobah. Fàbregas nevertheless found a solution that gave his side control of the match.
Rather than relying on conventional wide players, he used a line of three attacking midfielders: Martin Baturina, Paz and Lucas Da Cunha. Da Cunha is usually deployed deeper in midfield but began his career as an attacking midfielder or right-sided forward. Together, they kept possession away from a United side that looked unsettled and disjointed.
Como’s strength was not simply the scoreline. Their clear approach under Fàbregas was evident in the variety of ways they played out from the back, the speed with which they moved the ball and their immediate pressure after losing it. Against a United team that appeared to be reacting rather than directing the game, Como’s structure was decisive.
The match was effectively settled at 4-0 before United reduced the deficit. Como president Mirwan Suwarso was shown by the cameras wearing the expression of a man watching a project acquire a continental reach.
A club living a new European reality
Fàbregas’ only regret concerned the closing stages. “I regret the last ten minutes because I told the team to lower the tempo,” he said. “We have another match coming up and, at 4-0, we could manage the game a little.”
That assessment underlined how quickly the scale of expectation has changed at Como. A club that was in Serie C only six years ago is now discussing how to manage a four-goal advantage against Manchester United in the Champions League.
Paz has become the clearest barometer of that rise: when he finds his highest level, Como’s whole game follows. With Fàbregas, Baturina, Da Cunha, Máximo Perrone and Jacobo Ramón all contributing to a side with a strong identity, the club’s European adventure is attracting increasing attention across the continent.
