Anastasios Douvikas scored twice in 11 second-half minutes as Como beat Sassuolo 2-0 at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Saturday to climb to fourth in Serie A and continue the best league start in the club's history.
Fresh from the 4-1 dismantling of Manchester United in the Champions League in midweek, Cesc Fabregas and his players had to be patient. Sassuolo, organised and stubborn, reached half-time level and never allowed Como to settle into their usual rhythm in a scrappy first 45 minutes on Lake Como.
Chances at both ends, nothing to show
Como thought they had an early breakthrough when Lucas Da Cunha raced in behind and fired past Stefano Turati after seven minutes, only for the flag to cut the celebrations short. Turati then kept out close-range efforts from Douvikas and Maxence Caqueret as the hosts pushed.
Sassuolo were not just sitting in. Darryl Bakola thumped a strike into the top corner just before the break and wheeled away in celebration, but that goal was also ruled out for offside in the build-up, and the sides went in goalless. Given Como had conceded six of their seven Serie A goals this season before half-time, a clean sheet at the interval was no disaster — but Fabregas wanted more, and acted on it.
Fabregas changes it, Douvikas finishes it
The Como coach made a triple change at half-time, and the effect was immediate. Four minutes after the restart, a move down the left ended with a low ball across the box that Douvikas swept home to finally break Sassuolo's resistance.
Sassuolo barely had time to regroup. Jayden Addai forced a difficult save from Turati at the near post, and on the hour the second goal arrived: Kaiki intercepted in midfield, burst down the left and pulled the ball back for Douvikas to slide in from close range and complete his brace — his fifth goal in his last four games, as Flashscore noted in its report.
From there, Como managed the game comfortably. Luis Milla prodded a chance wide from 12 yards and Jacobo Ramon saw a late effort charged down, but Sassuolo — who did not register a single shot on target all afternoon, according to the match report from Football Italia — never threatened a comeback. Their miserable away run now stands at 11 league games without a win.
So what: fourth place and a best-ever start
The numbers behind Como's season keep getting more remarkable. They are unbeaten at home in Serie A (four wins, one draw), sit fourth on 17 points after eight games, and Italian reports describe this as the best start to a top-flight campaign in the club's history — days after they humbled Manchester United in Europe.
The most encouraging part for Fabregas is where the goals are coming from. With Nico Paz the usual headline act, it was Douvikas who settled this one, and a squad that can win in different ways is a squad that can last the distance near the top of the table. Next up is a trip to Torino on Tuesday, while Sassuolo, 14th on eight points, host Lazio still searching for a first away win.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: this is no longer a fairytale run — it is a pattern. Como defend their home ground like a top-four side, their coach changes games from the bench, and their striker is in the form of his life. The rest of Serie A should stop treating the Lariani as a novelty act and start treating them as a Champions League rival.
Can Como really hold a top-four place until May, or will the big clubs reel them in? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
