Paz announces himself in Serie A as Como make a statement
On a night built on composure and nerve, Nico Paz turned Como’s Serie A return into his own stage. The 20-year-old Argentine midfielder set up the opener and bent in a ruthless free-kick to sink Lazio 2-0, handing Cesc Fabregas a winning start to life on the touchline in Italy’s top flight.
The game opened cagey, as you’d expect from an opener with a newly promoted side facing a European regular. Lazio saw more of the ball early on but struggled to break Como’s structure. Fabregas kept his side compact and patient, asking his midfield to sit tight and wait for moments to run at space. The plan needed the right technician to flip the switch. Paz did exactly that after the break.
Two minutes into the second half, he drifted in from midfield, shaped the ball onto his right foot and burst between the lines. One look up, one punch through the channel. His 30‑metre ground pass split Lazio’s centre-backs and released Tasos Douvikas, who stayed calm and beat Ivan Provedel. It was the kind of assist that looks simple only after it’s done: weight spot-on, angle ruthless, timing perfect.
Lazio pushed for a response and thought they had it when Valentín “Taty” Castellanos found the net. The celebrations died down fast. After a check, the Video Assistant Referee flagged a narrow offside in the build-up. Then came something new: referee Gianluca Manganiello announced the decision live to the stadium. It was a first for Serie A under this season’s transparency measures, and it landed well—no mystery, no second-guessing, just a clear explanation over the PA.
Paz then settled the night. In the 72nd minute, Como won a free-kick from a testing angle for a left-footer. He wrapped his body around the ball and curled it into the top-right corner, out of Provedel’s reach almost as it left his boot. Home fans were on their feet before it clipped the net. Technique, confidence, and a bit of audacity—it was the signature of a player who knows he belongs at this level.
What stood out was the rhythm of Paz’s game. He didn’t force it. He picked his moments, broke lines with carries, and anchored transitions with clean touches. When Como dropped into a mid-block, he stayed switched on, ready to turn defense into threat in a heartbeat. When the team had a spell of possession, he acted as the release valve, keeping Lazio honest with constant movement between midfield and attack.
Under Fabregas, Como’s shape looked tidy rather than flashy. Full-backs timed their advances, the wingers worked both ends, and the midfield held its discipline. Lazio’s circulation was neat, but they rarely played through. Most of their half-chances came from crosses and second balls rather than fluid combinations down the middle. That was by design. Como’s lines never stretched too far, and when they did, Paz’s work on the turn helped restore control.
This wasn’t only about a clever game plan. It was about execution from a young core learning to handle pressure. Como’s return to Serie A has been years in the making, and the message from night one was clear: they’re not here to make up the numbers. In Fabregas, they have a head coach who wants his team to think their way through games. In Paz, they have a player who can turn thought into damage.
For Lazio, the frustration was obvious. They moved the ball with intent for stretches but couldn’t make it count. The offside call that wiped out Castellanos’s finish was tight, but correct. And when Como asked them to defend wide and deep after the second goal, the visitors didn’t find the extra gear to make the ending dramatic.
There was a sub-plot with real meaning beyond the scoreline: the live announcement of the VAR decision. Serie A’s new approach is aimed at cutting confusion, lowering the temperature in the stands, and building trust in what fans are seeing. One clear sentence over the tannoy did more to settle the debate than a minute of guesswork. Expect more of that this season—and fewer arguments spiraling from uncertainty.
Who is Nico Paz right now—and why it matters
Paz is a Madrid academy product who has been on European radar screens for a while. He’s 20, technically sharp, and comfortable playing between the lines. Como gave him the keys, and he repaid them with the kind of performance that travels well across scouting departments.
His club situation adds extra intrigue. Real Madrid chose not to activate an €8 million buy-back clause this summer. That doesn’t close the door. The Spanish giants still hold future options under different terms, and nights like this won’t cool their interest. For the player, minutes matter more than badges right now, and Italy gives him precisely that: a high-level league, tactical rigor, and the freedom to grow under a coach who understands midfield craft as well as anyone.
His international path is opening too. Lionel Scaloni has called him up for Argentina’s September World Cup qualifiers, a clear sign the national team staff like his profile. The step from club promise to international reliability is steep, especially in Argentina’s midfield. But the pieces fit: tempo control, set-piece threat, and the maturity to handle a game’s swing moments.
Como’s wider picture is worth a beat. This is a club that fought its way back to the top tier and is now trying to stick. Promotion parties fade fast when the schedule hits, and opening day can shape the mood for weeks. Beating a side with Lazio’s experience brings belief to the dressing room and patience to the stands. It also validates Fabregas’s early choices: keep the structure tight, lean on technical difference-makers, and pounce when the space appears.
Paz’s game offered a neat snapshot of how Como want to survive and grow: compact off the ball, brave on it, and decisive in big moments. The pass for Douvikas? That’s the blueprint—carry, commit, release. The free-kick? That’s the bonus—when opponents foul to stop the counter, make them pay. If Como can bottle that balance, they’ll annoy plenty of opponents this season.
There’s a spotlight angle too. Young playmakers often get graded on highlight reels instead of habits. Monday gave both. The clips are there—the through ball, the curler—but so is the graft: tracking runners, nudging opponents off their rhythm, and playing the simple pass when the risk wasn’t worth it. Those choices keep managers calm and teammates trusting.
For Lazio, one off night doesn’t rewrite their season. They still have quality, structure, and a history of steady responses after setbacks. But the warning is real: Serie A’s promoted teams are sharper and more ambitious than the stereotype suggests. Give them half a window, and they’ll climb through it.
What’s next? For Como, it’s about backing this up away from home and handling the grind—three games in, the novelty wears off, and legs feel heavier. For Paz, it’s about repeating the behaviors that led to the magic, not chasing the magic itself. Keep finding pockets. Keep selecting the right pass. Keep taking the dead ball when it matters.
Key moments that swung the game:
- 46th minute: Paz breaks the lines and threads a 30‑meter pass to Douvikas for 1-0.
- Second-half midpoint: Lazio’s equalizer chalked off for offside, announced live by the referee—new for Serie A.
- 72nd minute: Paz curls in a free-kick to the top right corner for 2-0 and a standing ovation.
The headline is simple: a 20-year-old with a cool head and a hot left foot put Como on the board in week one. The subtext is smarter: a newly promoted club executed a plan, a starlet showed poise, and a league experiment in transparency got an early thumbs-up. For a first night back in the big time, that’s quite a lot to take home.
