Fiorentina 1–3 Como: Liberali Takes His Chance

A big part of being a Como supporter is explaining why everything will probably be fine. We've been engaged in this activity most of the week, and luckily, the team delivered on Sunday.

Como beat Fiorentina 3–1 at the Artemio Franchi, ending a three-match winless run in all competitions and reaching 14 points in Serie A. Mattia Liberali scored his first league goal, Nico Paz reminded everyone how much he can change a match, and Tasos Douvikas supplied the finish that gave us room to breathe.

Room to breathe is worth specifying. This was an open, occasionally alarming afternoon. Fiorentina had enough chances to make it considerably less enjoyable.

But after the disappointment at Feyenoord, and with Assane Diao and Moise Kean unavailable, Como found a way to make the afternoon theirs. That is a result worth enjoying properly.

A chance for Liberali, another interruption in defence

Cesc Fàbregas gave Liberali a starting place alongside Nico and Maxence Caqueret behind Douvikas. Luis Milla and Lucas Da Cunha formed the midfield pairing, with Marc-Oliver Kempf starting in defence.

The changes did not end with the team selection. Yan Couto withdrew during the warm-up, bringing Ivan Smolčić into the side, and Trevoh Chalobah then went off injured inside the opening quarter-hour. Jacobo Ramón replaced him. Football Italia’s report details a disrupted start to an already demanding assignment.

This is what squad depth looks like when it stops being a discussion about names on a page. Players have to come in, understand the job and perform while the match is already moving around them.

Ramón’s intervention to disrupt a Mateo Pellegrino chance before the opening goal was an important contribution. So was Liberali’s willingness to make something happen at the other end.

Four minutes that changed the afternoon

Liberali broke through in the 32nd minute, coming onto his left foot and curling a lovely finish towards the far corner. There was confidence in the decision and composure in the execution. Given the opportunity, he did not play as though he needed permission to use it.

Fiorentina protested over a challenge on Pedro Gonçalves earlier in the move. That controversy belongs in the account of the goal; the hosts had a grievance, and play was allowed to continue. We do not need to pretend the incident did not happen to appreciate the finish.

Four minutes later, Álex Valle crossed from the left and Nico rose to head Como into a 2–0 lead. Goal’s match report records the two goals that transformed an evenly contested opening into a wonderful position for the visitors.

The header was particularly satisfying. We spend so much time discussing what Nico does with the ball at his feet that it is easy to overlook the value of his movement without it. Arriving in the right place can be every bit as damaging as beating a defender.

Fiorentina make us sweat

The home side were far from finished. Marin Pongračić reduced the deficit in the 42nd minute following a corner, then found the net again from a Franco Mastantuono free-kick in first-half stoppage time. After a lengthy VAR review, the second effort was disallowed for offside.

Two set pieces had threatened to undo the advantage almost as quickly as Como had built it. The decision preserved the lead; the warning remained.

Fiorentina had another opportunity early in the second half when Alieu Njie lifted the ball past the advancing Jean Butez but failed to find the target. Lega Serie A’s match account makes clear how close the hosts came to changing the course of the game.

Those are the moments that disappear when a result gets reduced to a confident-looking scoreline. At 2–1, this still felt like a match with several possible endings.

Nico finds Douvikas, and Como find some breathing room

The decisive answer arrived in the 56th minute. Nico carried the counterattack forward and released Douvikas, whose shot went through David de Gea’s legs for 3–1.

De Gea will want that one back. He had already made important saves, but his failure to keep out the third was costly — a point also made in Quotidiano Sportivo’s Fiorentina ratings.

For Como, the move showed why Douvikas matters. He gives the creative players somebody to release beyond the defence. Nico could advance knowing there was a forward offering a route towards goal, and Douvikas made sure the move ended with a shot.

A goal and an assist made Nico the outstanding figure in Como’s attack. Liberali supplied the breakthrough, but Nico helped turn it into a victory.

What the shot map tells us

[INSERT ATTACHED TATTICO SHOT MAP HERE]

Caption: Fiorentina 1–3 Como, Serie A Gameweek 7. Como recorded 16 shots, eight on target and 1.89 non-penalty expected goals; Fiorentina had 19 shots, seven on target and 2.27 non-penalty expected goals. Larger circles indicate higher-quality chances. Source: Tattico.

Suggested alt text: Tattico shot map of Fiorentina’s 1–3 defeat to Como, showing chances at both ends and Fiorentina’s higher non-penalty xG despite Como’s three goals.

The Tattico match data, shown in the graphic above, puts some useful restraint on the celebrations. Fiorentina led the shot count 19–16 and the non-penalty xG total 2.27–1.89. Como put eight shots on target to the hosts’ seven.

The concentration of purple attempts close to Como’s goal is the part to pay attention to. Fiorentina were getting into dangerous positions, rather than simply accumulating hopeful efforts from distance. Como also created opportunities inside the box, but this was no afternoon of keeping the opposition harmlessly at arm’s length.

Expected goals estimates chance quality; it does not award points or tell us what the score should have been. Here, it supports a straightforward reading: Como finished more effectively, while Fiorentina left substantial opportunities unused.

Njie’s late header against the post is an obvious example. Butez also had to deal with efforts from Nicolò Fagioli. The home side’s frustration, evident throughout Quotidiano Sportivo’s assessment, had a basis beyond the refereeing disputes.

We can be delighted with the attacking response and still want fewer of those purple circles next time.

Rotation produces an answer

Máximo Perrone replaced Nico just after the hour. Fàbregas later explained that keeping Perrone, Milla, Da Cunha and Caqueret together was intended to help Como retain possession against opponents who were struggling without the ball. That gives the substitution a clear purpose beyond simply resting a key player. Post-match comments.

The manager also identified set-piece concentration as a weakness in his DAZN interview. It was the right concern to raise. A good result should make it easier to work on those problems, not easier to forget them.

Liberali’s contribution is the more cheerful lesson. With important attackers absent, somebody given an opportunity made a difference. Willy Kambwala also came on late for his Como debut, as confirmed by the club’s report.

One afternoon cannot settle every question about competing on several fronts. It can give the manager more reason to trust the options available to him.

A better mood for Manchester United

Chalobah’s condition is the concern carried home from Florence. Fàbregas was cautious afterwards and said he would need further assessment; his early exit should not be turned into a confident prediction about how long he will be out.

Otherwise, Como return with plenty to feel good about. A first Serie A goal for Liberali. A decisive performance from Nico. Another finish from Douvikas. Three points secured despite the absences and disruptions.

Manchester United visit the Sinigaglia on Wednesday, 21 October, for the next Champions League fixture. That occasion hardly needs help generating excitement. Going into it after a win makes the anticipation considerably more pleasant.

Florence gave us the response we wanted. Now we get to enjoy the next few days.