Como’s 20-year-old midfield engine Nico Paz delivered a headline-stealing brace—after clanging a penalty off the frame—to power a 3-0 demolition of Lazio that vaults the promoted side within touching distance of the Champions League places.
Instant Impact: Baturina & Paz Sink Lazio Inside Two Minutes
Martin Baturina needed just 120 seconds to announce Como’s intent, his deflected drive wrong-footing Ivan Provedel and igniting a nightmarish evening for the hosts. The Croatian’s opener was fortunate, but the performance that followed was anything but.
With Lazio still regrouping, Paz took center stage. Collecting a cut-back on his weaker left foot, the Argentine lashed an unstoppable shot inside the near post for 2-0 on 23 minutes. The strike was his fourth goal involvement in three league games and reiterated why Serie A’s official site named him Rising Star for both August and September.
The Miss That Mattered: Paz’s Denied Penalty Becomes a Footnote
When Lazio’s Mario Gila felled Luca Mazzitelli, Paz stepped up aiming for a first-half hat-trick. His chipped Panenka came back off the crossbar, yet the 20-year-old’s body language never wavered. That composure paid dividends four minutes after the restart.
Baturina’s audacious back-heel on the edge of the box found Paz in stride; one touch opened his hips, the second rifled the ball low beyond Provedel. Two goals, one woodwork, three points.
Historic Parallel: Third Straight 3-0 Away Win Rewrites Como Record Books
No Como side in the club’s 118-year history had ever recorded three consecutive road victories by an identical scoreline. The streak—3-0 at Lecce, 3-0 at Fiorentina, 3-0 at Lazio—equals the biggest away-win sequence in Serie A since Juventus managed four straight in 2018.
- Goals scored in the run: 9
- Goals conceded: 0
- Average possession: 57%
The feat is made more remarkable by the fact Como sit 14th in the league for total payroll, operating on a budget roughly one-sixth of Lazio’s Football Italia wage survey.
Table Turbulence: Como Now Two Points Behind Juventus
The victory lifts Cesc Fàbregas’ side to 33 points, level with sixth-place Roma and just two adrift of fifth-place Juventus. With the top five guaranteeing Champions League entry, Como’s 18-match haul of 33 points is the best ever by a newly promoted club at this stage of a Serie A campaign.
Lazio, meanwhile, stay ninth on 28 points and have won only once in their last six league outings. Head coach Marco Baroni’s decision to start 19-year-old Kenneth Taylor in an advanced role backfired; the Dutchman completed just 68% of his passes and was subbed at half-time.
Verona Stuck in Neutral; Cremonese Climb
Earlier on Monday, bottom club Verona failed to break the deadlock at Cremonese, extending their winless streak to six. Santana Giovane came closest, forcing a fingertip save from Cremonese keeper Gio Cascione in the 78th minute.
The point lifts Cremonese into 12th on 24 points, while Verona remain dead-last on 14, level with Pisa and three behind Lecce and Fiorentina.
What It Means: Paz’s Stock Soars, Como Believe
Real Madrid inserted a gentleman’s agreement allowing them to re-sign Paz for €12 million next summer, but his valuation is inflating with every match. Five goals and three assists since November have turned the 20-year-old into the league’s most productive U-21 midfielder.
For Como, belief is now measurable. Their expected goals differential over the last eight fixtures ranks third in Serie A behind Inter and Napoli. If current form holds, Fàbregas’ rookie project won’t just survive—it will gate-crash European football.
Stay locked on onlytrustedinfo.com for instant, data-driven reaction to every twist in Serie A’s Europa League dogfight.
