Nico Paz wore the captain’s armband on Como’s first European away night, but the visit to De Kuip also exposed the difficult balance Cesc Fabregas must strike across a season now spread over three competitions. In Rotterdam, the Argentine was asked to lead an experimental forward line against Feyenoord; on Sunday in Florence, he is expected to return to the role that best reflects his importance to the side.
A European experiment in Rotterdam
Fabregas selected Paz alongside Martin Baturina in a 4-4-2 that had not previously been a regular feature of Como’s work. The intention was to offer Feyenoord an unfamiliar problem while keeping Tasos Douvikas fresh for Serie A, which remains the coach’s central priority.
Douvikas has already scored twice in the league, while Moise Kean’s unavailability has reduced Fabregas’s options at centre-forward. With Como competing on three fronts, the absence of another available specialist striker has made the squad’s attacking depth particularly thin.
Fabregas has described the Champions League as a reward for the club, yet the opening structure in Rotterdam suited a Feyenoord team with a settled identity and greater familiarity in its own game. Paz has played as a forward before, including during his first campaign and again last season, when the results were more encouraging.
- His performances as an advanced player included a notable display at Napoli.
- He also featured strongly in the home win over Roma, a result that helped launch Como’s eventual successful push for fourth place.
- Against Feyenoord, however, he was not operating as a lone false nine.
- He shared the central responsibility with Baturina, beginning largely from the right and working in a more restricted vertical channel.
Paz’s strengths restricted by the role
The Rotterdam assignment did not diminish Paz’s standing as a player, but it did raise doubts about the suitability of that particular position. His best work usually comes when he can receive between the lines, beat the first press and then either find a pass beyond the defence or threaten from range. There was little room for those instincts to develop at De Kuip.
Even so, he tried to bring his usual qualities into the match. Paz produced two shots, more than any of his Como team-mates, linked play with lay-offs and completed several combinations with those around him.
There were also figures that reflected a difficult evening:
- Paz lost possession 13 times, the highest total in the Como side and an unusual number for him.
- He attempted three dribbles without completing one.
- His contribution came during a spell in which his form has not been at its sharpest.
A slower opening after an interrupted summer
Paz has scored once in eight appearances across Serie A and the Champions League, with that goal coming away to Genoa. At the equivalent stage of last season, he had registered four goals and four assists.
The comparison needs context. His summer was broken up by Argentina’s World Cup campaign, which meant he missed an entire month of Como’s preparation and did not join the group until the latter part of August.
He did not accumulate heavy physical minutes in America before Argentina’s final defeat to Spain, but the travelling tournament brought its own mental strain. A subsequent international break included full matches from the start, the emotion surrounding Lionel Messi’s farewell, and another long intercontinental journey. Paz did not return to Como until last Thursday.
Florence offers a return to familiar ground
Como’s trip to Fiorentina on Sunday gives Paz the opportunity to resume his usual duties as the club’s number 10. Rotterdam was an unusual chapter in a demanding calendar rather than a verdict on his ability, but it underlined how much Fabregas needs his captain to operate with the freedom to shape matches rather than simply occupy the front line.
