Como return from the international break with a season-defining stretch already in view, and Nico Paz arrives back from Argentina at the centre of it. The 10 will face Roma at the Sinigaglia on Sunday after a striking three-match spell with the national team, but his immediate task is to recover from a long transatlantic journey in time for one of Serie A’s most revealing weekends.
The meeting also brings Paulo Dybala to Como. Two Argentine left-footed creators, separated by career stage but connected by a changing national-team picture, will take their places in a match that could say much about the chase behind Inter.
Quick facts
- Nico Paz scored in each of his three Argentina appearances during the break.
- One of those goals came at the Monumental in Lionel Messi’s farewell match for Argentina, following an assist from Messi.
- Como host Roma on Sunday before travelling to the Netherlands to play Feyenoord in the Champions League three days later.
- Paulo Dybala remained at Trigoria after missing Argentina selection under Lionel Scaloni.
- Paz’s only Serie A goal so far came in Genoa, scored with his right foot.
Paz’s Argentina window carried the weight of a wider transition. Messi’s departure from the international stage has naturally sharpened attention on the next generation, and the Como player made his case with three goals and an influential role in every appearance.
His finish in the emotional Monumental occasion, set up by Messi, gave the week its clearest image: an established great providing the final pass for a player increasingly viewed as part of Argentina’s future. Scaloni has preferred Paz’s energy and potential in this squad, while Dybala was left out.
That decision gives Sunday’s contest a private edge without changing its broader importance. Dybala arrives with a point to prove after remaining in Rome during the break; Paz returns with the task of translating international momentum into the club campaign.
Como’s coaching staff must first assess how much the 21-year-old has left after the flights and the effects of jet lag. He is due back in Italy only today, leaving little room before Roma’s visit and an even tighter sequence beyond it.
After the Giallorossi, Cesc Fabregas’ side head to Feyenoord for Champions League duty. October will then continue at the pace of a match every 72 hours, testing the depth and energy of a group now operating on both domestic and European fronts.
Fabregas has built a Como side that has forced its way into the conversation at the top end of the table. Their assertive football has made them credible contenders in the Scudetto race and an awkward European opponent, but the encounter with Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma is a more immediate measure of those ambitions.
For both benches, the Sinigaglia offers an early indication of who can maintain pressure on Inter. Roma bring the experience of Dybala; Como have the freshness and growing authority of Paz, whose left foot has become a central feature of their season.
There is one small statistical curiosity in Paz’s Serie A record. His only league goal in Italy was not struck with his favoured left, but with his right in Genoa—the first goal he has scored in the country using his weaker foot.
Como now need more from the stronger one. If Paz can manage the fatigue of the international break and rediscover his scoring touch in league play, Sunday could become another important chapter in a campaign that is no longer content merely to surprise.
