Como opened their 2025/2026 Serie A season with a very impressive win against a powerful Lazio, who were hoping to kick off their season with an away win.
However, things did not go their way as Como were more decisive and dangerous.
The 2-0 loss against Como represents a disappointing start to the season for I Biancocelesti, whose plan was to bounce back with powerful performances at the beginning of this season in the hope of achieving better results than the previous one, especially following the appointment of a veteran head coach like Maurizio Sarri.
On the other side, Cesc Fàbregas and his players are certainly proud of their promising debut and first win against a tough opponent.
What is even more positive about Como’s win is that they won the match convincingly, with plenty of created chances, numerous shots on goal, and two beautiful goals, making their win even more pleasant for their fans.
That said, it will be completely right for Fàbregas to silence the ambitious hopes of the media to keep the players’ feet on the ground and continue working away from the lights, with the hope of achieving something important at the end of the season.
In this tactical analysis, I will be exploring Como’s rejuvenated attacking plans and how Cesc Fàbregas tactics are using his new signings to make Como’s attacking performances more dangerous than last season.
The analysis will, therefore, shed light on the impact of the new players and how the setup this season seems to be working well for Como so far.
Como Vs Lazio Formations
Fàbregas started the match according to the 4-2-3-1 formation with Jean Butez as a goalkeeper, Jacobo Ramón and Marc-Oliver Kempf as centre-backs, Ignace Van Der Brempt as a right-back, and Álex Valle as a left-back.
The midfield consisted of Lucas Da Cunha and Máximo Perrone as central midfielders and Nico Paz as an attacking midfielder.
The newly signed Jesús Rodríguez played on the left wing, while Mërgim Vojvoda played on the right wing.
Anastasios Douvikas was the team’s main striker.
Álvaro Morata, Ivan Smolčić, Maxence Caqueret, Sergi Roberto, and Nicolas Kühn were the substitutes that Fàbregas used later in the game to protect his lead and give some playing time to some of the new signings, such as Morata and Kühn.
On the other hand, Maurizio Sarri opted for his usual 4-3-3 formation with Ivan Provedel as a goalkeeper, Mario Gila and Oliver Provstgaard as centre-backs, Manuel Lazzari as a right-back, and Nuno Tavares as a left-back.
In midfield, he opted for Danilo Cataldi as a defensive midfielder and Mattéo Guendouzi and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru as central midfielders.
Attacking-wise, Matteo Cancellieri was used as a right winger and Mattia Zaccagni as a left winger, with Valentín Castellanos being the team’s main striker.
Despite the substitutions of Luca Pellegrini, Nicolò Rovella, Pedro, Boulaye Dia, and Adam Marušić, Lazio failed to threaten Como or get close to equalising.
Their attacking performance was disappointing, with only four shots and a single shot on target.
Como Vs Lazio Lineups
Como Powerful New Attacking Lineup & Solutions
With several targeted attacking reinforcements, Como have already succeeded in being extremely dangerous attacking-wise against a team that is not easy to beat, and that already promises a strong season.
The addition of Rodríguez on the right wing adds dynamism to an already powerful attack.
The Spanish winger has already excelled at Celtic and is known for his quick penetrations, cuts inside, and excellent passing abilities.
The explosivity that he adds to the team’s attack is valuable, especially when the team wins the ball back.
He showed continuous readiness and anticipation to his markers, moving without the ball to get to the ball first as soon as his teammates intercepted it.
Como Attacking Threats Of Jesús Rodríguez & Anastasios Douvikas
Added to that, the already established link-up with striker Douvikas and the ability to provide him with passes showed that the two players are already accustomed to playing alongside each other and that there is already a built-in chemistry between them despite participating in their first official match.
This action in the initial minutes of the match highlights Rodríguez’s dynamism and ability to provide passes between the lines to Douvikas after anticipating his direct opponent by moving centrally without the ball to free himself and receive a pass.
This helps considerably with final passes and disturbs the opposing defence remarkably.
This tendency to cut inside without the ball and act like a central attacking midfielder when getting the ball is part of Fàbregas’s attacking plans, especially his belief in interchangeability in terms of attacking positions.
Jesús Rodríguez Activity Inside The Box
Furthermore, it is essential to note Rodríguez’s reliability in the air, as he provides a solid option in this regard.
His intelligence in avoiding marking and proposing an option on the far post can only be appreciated, as he was very close to scoring with a header on more than two occasions in this match.
The availability of Rodríguez on the far post provides solutions for the team, especially from the right wing, where Douvikas is usually being marked.
Rodríguez presents a good passing solution, as defenders often overlook his presence.
Como got very close to scoring thanks to his presence on the far post in this action.
He knew he could direct his header with power, but it went inches away from the goal.
This further confirms how dangerous Rodríguez can be, whether outside or inside the box, adding a lot of quality to the team in terms of passing, movements without the ball, dribbling, and finishing.
The use of Vojvoda as a right winger in this specific game was mainly made to block the frequent and dangerous advancing of Tavares on that flank, given that Vojvoda guarantees defensive coverage since he is naturally a right-back, while offering considerable attacking support as well.
The unexpected choice of Fàbregas proved successful, as Vojvoda not only succeeded in limiting Tavares’ danger but was also able to support the attack with dangerous crosses and even some shooting attempts that could have opened the score for Como.
The following powerful shot from distance highlights the player’s outstanding shooting abilities and confirms to Fàbregas that using Vojvoda more regularly as a right winger can become a very suitable option, especially to guarantee more balance when playing against teams with dangerous attacking left-backs like Lazio.
More importantly, this action highlights the absence of robotic/rigid positioning within Fàbregas’ system and his reliance on the continuous interchangeability of positions in a disciplined way that preserves the overall team organisation.
In other words, whenever a player replaces another one, he immediately gets covered by another player to avoid leaving spaces for the opponent.
This interchangeability allows Como to try different attacking solutions and confuse defences by changing the players they mark.
Como Interchangeability Of Positions
In this example, Vojvoda made himself available at the edge of the box, taking the position of Paz, while the latter leaned towards the right wing.
At the same time, centre-back Ramón advanced to execute Douvikas’s role as a target man and provide a backwards header to Vojvoda.
The continuous penetrations of midfielders and/or defenders to the box offer a lot of diversity in Fàbregas’ attacking solutions, making Como unpredictable most of the time.
In fact, the use of Ramón in attack was a recurring event in this match in particular, as the defender advanced more than once into the box, acting like a second striker at times and as a right or left winger at other times.
Jacobo Ramón Forward Runs & Attacking Contribution
Ramón would have been very close to scoring if his shot had been more accurate on the following occasion, when he advanced from the right flank to provide a passing option and receive the ball in this key spot.
This proves that Fàbregas’ idea of encouraging his players to advance when possible while calculating the risks and retreating quickly has been fruitful so far, since Ramón’s advancing was useful in almost every time he made the forward run.
Diversifying these types of attacking support and using other players to do the same role will certainly prove efficient for Como as well, since it would keep these actions unpredictable.
Diversifying such attacking penetrations will also be necessary because teams will be aware of Ramón’s forward movements and will most likely be prepared to mark him tightly as soon as he advances.
That’s why, using this plan with diverse defensive players would prove even more threatening to opposing defences, knowing that Como can still be successful in their plan even with the penetrations of Ramón, only because he will be attracting a defender or two anyway and will therefore free the space for Douvikas, Paz or one of the wingers.
Como Nico Paz Use Of Half Spaces & Key Passing
Nico Paz’s performance in this match confirmed that the player’s best position is the advanced playmaker role.
He gives 100% of his abilities in this role and becomes more dangerous and crucial to his team than in any other role.
Nico Paz Movement Between The Lines
His off-the-ball movement between the lines, especially between the midfield and the defensive line, makes him a very dangerous player, as he always asks for the ball in the half-spaces.
His ability to consistently position himself behind the opposing midfield line and just at the back of the defensive line allows him to provide a perfect passing option for his teammates.
He continuously asks for the ball as soon as he puts himself in those positions.
The following picture showcases his positioning between the lines and how he asks for the ball with a hand gesture secretly in order not to get marked.
Paz continuously tries to spot the empty spaces left behind the opponent’s first or second line of defence and immediately asks for the ball in those spots.
Against Lazio, he created the needed threat while receiving the ball in his team’s own half.
He swiftly escaped an opponent with a body feint and quickly served Douvikas with a crucial through pass into space, giving the striker the chance to finish inside the net.
The Nico Paz/Anastasios Douvikas Goal Action
The goal action highlights Paz’s importance in Como’s attacking midfield and his ability to turn attacking transitions into concrete goalscoring chances thanks to his excellent positioning, dribbling skills, and accurate final key passes.
Furthermore, Douvikas’ movement to follow the pass and his ability to resist the disturbance of his marker before finishing with success confirms that Como actually have a reliable striker who can exploit Paz, Rodríguez, and the rest of the attacking players’ work and passing in the best of ways, with the hope of scoring as many goals to help the team reach a higher spot than last season.
Paz’s direct free-kick goal was the icing on the cake regarding Como’s performance in general and Paz’s performance in particular, as it proved that the Argentinian player promises to have a great season as the team’s playmaker.
Conclusion
Como made a strong start to the season by beating Lazio in the opening match, with an outstanding attacking performance led by Paz, and some very positive signs shown by Rodríguez, Douvikas and Vojvoda as they were dynamic and dangerous throughout the match.
With the progressive integration of the other new additions, mainly Morata and Kühn, by giving them more playing time game by game, Como’s attacking line promises to become one of the best in the league if they avoid injuries and drops in form.
The reliance on interchangeability of positions and the exploitation of the defenders’ attacking traits by encouraging their forward runs to support the attacks and create numerical superiority inside the final third make Fàbregas’ side even more dangerous when in possession.
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