Como opened their season with a confident 2–0 win over Lazio, driven by a standout performance from Nico Paz, who provided a brilliant assist and scored a superb free-kick. Douvikas opened the scoring early in the second half, while Lazio’s only real moment came from Castellanos’ disallowed goal for offside. Israel Schmit de Avedazo explores the key tactical themes from the match.
The match between Como and Lazio began with Como attempting to launch an attacking move straight from kick-off. Lazio responded immediately by pressing high on Como’s defence. Their centre-forward initiated the press, supported by a line of four consisting of the two central midfielders and two wingers. Behind them, the defensive midfielder acted as a third layer to sustain the pressure.
To break through Lazio’s pressing, Como adjusted their shape. The right centre-back shifted slightly left without becoming a left-back, while the right-back tucked inside to form a back three. One of the central midfielders dropped deep to offer a passing option and help build play, while the other positioned himself slightly higher to keep possession moving.
Attacking midfielder Nico Paz drifted across the pitch, from left to right, to receive the ball, while the left-back stayed wide on the touchline. Both wide midfielders dropped deep, staying close to the sidelines to receive the ball and launch fast counter-attacks.
When defending, Lazio narrowed their first defensive line close to their penalty area, with both full-backs tucked in beside the centre-backs. Just ahead, the two central midfielders widened slightly to act as defensive midfielders. The wingers dropped back to form a five-man line, while the centre-forward stayed near the halfway line, waiting for a long pass or clearance.
Como pushed forward with their back three stepping higher, supported by both central midfielders slightly behind the main line to dictate play. On the left, the winger moved closer to the centre-forward to form a pressing pair, while Nico Paz drifted right, linking up with the right midfielder, who stayed wide, mirrored by the left midfielder on the opposite side.
The game had a lively start. In just the 5th minute, Como launched a sharp counter-attack, breaking into the penalty area and shooting, only for Perrone to block the attempt.
At the 23rd minute, a long ball from the goalkeeper reached the halfway line. Ramón, a Como defender who had pushed forward, rose to head it on to Vojvoda, who struck the ball cleanly, but Lazio goalkeeper Provedel produced a fine save.
At the start of the second half, Nico Paz produced a brilliant dribble and through ball that split Lazio’s defensive line, sending Douvikas almost one-on-one with Butez. Despite Gila tugging at him in an attempt to stop the run, Douvikas managed to get his shot away. Butez got a hand to it but couldn’t prevent the ball crossing the line, giving Como the lead in the 47th minute.
At the 63rd minute, Lazio played a long ball over Como’s defenders to Castellanos, who finished one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, VAR intervened and ruled the goal out, as Como had executed an excellent offside trap.
In the 73rd minute, Nico Paz capped off his performance with a stunning free kick into the top corner, doubling Como’s lead and crowning an outstanding individual display.
Embed from Getty ImagesJust four minutes later, Nico Paz was again at the heart of the action, threading a clever pass to Vojvoda. He feigned a shot to his left before firing, but his effort crashed against the crossbar. The rebound fell to Perrone, who adjusted his body and shot, only for Butez to deny him with a fingertip save.
At the 82nd minute, Da Cunha tried his luck from distance with a powerful strike, but once again Butez was equal to it, making another good save.
From start to finish, the match was one-sided in Como’s favour. They defended with discipline and created numerous chances, while Lazio once again lacked sharpness and conviction.
Como’s solid first official match, especially their strong second-half display, set a positive tone for their campaign. Lazio, on the other hand, still look short of ideas, and unless they improve quickly, it could be a long and difficult season.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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