Nico Paz scores and assists as Como win 3-1 at Fiorentina to sit fourth

Cesc Fàbregas’s side made it four wins in a row in Florence across all competitions on Sunday 18 October, a Serie A round seven victory that leaves Como fourth on 14 points. Fiorentina stay without a win in three matches and are 19th.

Nico Paz was the standout. He scored, set up a goal and was rated 8.77, the highest on the pitch, despite playing only 61 minutes.

Liberali and Nico Paz strike four minutes apart

The visitors broke through in the 32nd minute. Mattia Liberali finished from a Maxence Caqueret assist, and four minutes later Nico Paz doubled the lead after being found by Álex Valle, who had already been booked in the 28th minute.

Caqueret finished with 4 key passes, while Liberali had 4 shots before he left after 83 minutes. Paz picked up a yellow card for a foul shortly after his goal.

Fiorentina responded in the 42nd minute through Marin Pongračić. The defender then had a second goal chalked off by VAR in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, so Como went in a goal ahead.

Douvikas seals it after the break

Anastasios Douvikas settled the contest in the 56th minute, converting a pass from Nico Paz. It was the Greek’s only goal from 3 shots across the full 90 minutes.

The hosts did not lack chances. Paolo Vanoli’s side had 19 shots to Como’s 16, won 11 corners to 5 and generated 2.33 expected goals against 1.83. Both goalkeepers made 5 saves, but Fiorentina could not find a way back.

Frustration showed late on. Cher Ndour was booked for a foul in the 68th minute and Franco Mastantuono went into the book for dissent five minutes later. Marco Di Bello issued 5 yellow cards in total, 3 of them to Como.

Fiorentina 19th as Como turn to Manchester United

Como had 54% of the ball and completed 459 of their 522 passes. The win followed a 3-2 defeat to Feyenoord and gives them four wins, two draws and one defeat from seven league games. They are 5 points behind leaders Inter.

The head-to-head record has swung their way. Como have now won four of the last six meetings, and this scoreline repeats their Coppa Italia win at the same ground on 27 January.

Fiorentina’s outlook is bleaker. Their second straight defeat, after a 2-1 loss to Genoa, leaves them with one win from seven league matches. They are level on 4 points with 18th-placed Genoa and just one point clear of bottom side Venezia, with a goal difference of minus 9.

Como host Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday 21 October. Fiorentina travel to Inter on Sunday 25 October.

Read also: Feyenoord edge Como 3-2 in Rotterdam as Robert Sánchez’s own goal proves decisive

📷 Stadio Artemio Franchi: Sailko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons