Como’s Serie A Revolution: Inside Cesc Fàbregas’ Tactical Masterpiece Shaking Italian Football

It’s easy to get distracted by the backdrop at Como 1907’s Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia—lake views, steep mountain slopes and the occasional famous face in the stands. But strip away the surroundings, and something far more captivating is happening on the pitch.

Under head coach Cesc Fàbregas, Como have become one of Serie A’s most assured sides: calm in possession, aggressive without the ball and increasingly difficult to break down. The Lombardy club only had their first season in Serie A last year, but now they are shaping up to be one of the most impressive teams in Italian football.

Last season’s top-half finish ended a two-decade absence from the top flight; this term, they look a different proposition entirely. Eleven games in, the Lariani have lost just once, pressed more often than anyone else in the division, and kept the ball better than the heavyweight sides above them. This isn’t a picturesque overperformance, rather an ambitious project taking shape.

Historic Start: Como’s Best Serie A Campaign in 75 Years

The numbers tell a remarkable story of transformation. Como have won 18 points from their opening 11 matches—double their tally at this stage last season and their best return after 11 games since 1949-50. Indeed, it is the club’s best points-per-game record in any Serie A campaign (1.64).

Como’s Opening 11 Matches: Then vs Now

They have already delivered statement results too: a controlled 2-0 win over Juventus and a well-earned point at reigning champions Napoli. Last term’s 10th-place finish made them only the second promoted side in more than a decade to break into the top half. But this start suggests something stronger than consolidation is on the cards.

After all, since the March international break, Como have lost just two of their 20 league games—fewer than any other Serie A side—and they currently sit seventh, with underlying numbers that place them fourth according to Opta’s expected points (xPts) model.

Europe’s Most Intense Press: Fàbregas’ Defensive Blueprint

Their rise is underpinned by a team who rarely lose control of a game—with or without the ball. Cesc Fàbregas has built a side who suffocate opponents with relentless off-ball work rate.

Como’s Pressing Dominance Across Europe’s Big Five Leagues

As a result, Como have made the most high turnovers in Serie A (86), registered the fourth-most pressed sequences—moves starting in the opposition’s defensive third where the opponents have three or fewer passes and the sequence ends in their own half—with 130, and tallied a league-high 375 defensive actions. Their PPDA (opposition passes per defensive action) of 7.8 is not just the lowest in Italy, it’s the lowest across Europe’s big five leagues, and is evidence that they press more intensely than anyone else.

What makes them so uncomfortable to play against, then, is how little room they allow sides to build. And linked to the above, their 180 fouls committed this term is the second most in Serie A, yet more proof of their desire to disrupt the opposition’s rhythm whenever possible.

Understandably, then, when all of that is taken into consideration, teams simply struggle to progress against Fàbregas’ structure. This explains why Como’s opponents move the ball upfield quicker than the opposition of any other Serie A team (1.99 metres per second).

Strangling Opposition Build-Up Play

Even when opponents do construct moves, they struggle to sustain them. Only Roma’s opponents (2.67) average fewer passes per sequence than Como’s (2.73), while there have been just 48 open-play passages of 10+ passes against them—the third fewest in the league. It reflects a press that squeezes space, stays compact and constantly forces hurried decisions.

While a lot of the focus when it comes to pressing is on off-ball effectiveness in the opposition’s half, ultimately the outcome for Como is one of the best defensive records in Serie A.

They’ve conceded the second-fewest goals (6) in the league and massively outperformed their expected goals against (xGA) of 10.37. And yet, it’s not like they’re frequently resorting to defending on the edge of their own box. Como generally defend high, catching opponents offside 30 metres from their own goal on average, which is the third highest of all Serie A teams this term. It’s another hallmark of a team intent on keeping opposition as far from their goal as possible.

Possession Mastery: The Fàbregas Philosophy in Action

They are just as dominant in possession, too. Como have the highest possession share in Serie A this season (60.4%), and no team have attempted or completed more passes in their own half (2,803 attempted, 2,593 completed). Cesc Fàbregas’ side do not just keep the ball, though, they manipulate it. It is the foundation of everything they do: build, lure, overload, progress.

Como’s Possession Statistics Lead Serie A

Linked to that, then, is a reticence to go direct. The Lombardy side have attempted the fewest long passes in the league (425), while just 7.7% of their passes are long, which is the second-lowest proportion in Serie A behind Napoli (7.4%). Everything starts with control.

Como set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that constantly shifts to create numerical superiority around the ball. They bait pressure, draw opponents out and then play through them—the same patterns Fàbregas enjoyed as a player. The numbers back it up: Como have played a league-high 725 line-breaking passes. They overload central zones, use their wide players smartly to stretch the pitch and then move vertically the moment gaps appear. It is coordinated possession—with purpose.

The Final Third Challenge: Room for Growth

Though for all their control, the final third tells a slightly different story. Como progress the ball brilliantly and consistently, but the end product is still catching up. Only three teams in Serie A have created fewer big chances than them this season (19), and 44.5% of their shots come from outside the box—the second-highest share in the league.

Summer signing Álvaro Morata leads the line exceptionally well, dropping deep to link play and dragging defenders out of position, but the goals have not yet followed. He has generated 2.97 xG, the highest total of any player yet to find the net in Serie A this term.

Como have shown, however, how dangerous they can be in attack. They have produced the second-most fast breaks (13) and scored the joint-most goals from them (three). And there is a reason those moments of incision look so effortless: one standout midfielder is the heartbeat of it all.

Nico Paz: The 21-Year-Old Maestro Driving Como Forward

At 21, Nico Paz has become Fàbregas’ most influential attacking cog. Operating between the lines as the number 10, Paz brings Como’s entire structure to life. He receives on the half-turn, floats between the lines and occupies numerous defenders. The numbers underline just how central he is.

Since the start of last season, Paz has been involved in at least 43 more open-play shot-ending sequences (265) than any other player in Italy’s top flight. He was named 2024-25’s Best Young Player in Serie A, and this term he has been directly involved in more goals than anyone else (eight: four goals, four assists).

Nico Paz’s Serie A Dominance This Season

Paz has also been included in every senior Argentina squad since last October, a sign of how quickly his star is rising. Real Madrid certainly think so too: they inserted a buy-back clause running to 2027 when he moved to northern Italy last summer. Every performance feels like a reminder why.

Paz has created 26 chances this season, a total exceeded only by Inter’s Federico Dimarco (32). He’s not just a key part of Como’s framework—he’s the one who elevates it.

Context Matters: Financial Backing and Tactical Brilliance

And beyond Paz, the wider picture makes Como’s rise even more striking. They have lost just once this season, while just 11% of their total Serie A minutes have been spent trailing, a figure bettered only by Milan (6%).

Last season offered the first signs that something was brewing. Como finished with their best Serie A points total (49) since 1951-52 and they were the only team to beat eventual champions Napoli after the turn of the year. They also underperformed their expected points (53.8) and conceded 52 goals from 43.8 xGA, suggesting their underlying performances were stronger than results showed. This season, they have flipped it, outperforming their defensive numbers while ranking fourth on xPts.

There is, however, important context off the pitch. Como are owned by the billionaire Hartono brothers—the wealthiest owners in Serie A—a caveat that shouldn’t diminish Fàbregas’ coaching but does frame the club’s ambition.

Fàbregas: The Architect Staying to Complete His Vision

Cesc Fàbregas is integral to all of it. Still the second-youngest manager in Serie A, he turned down reported interest from Inter and Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, choosing to stay with the project he has helped build. His influences are obvious—Arsène Wenger, Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Vicente Del Bosque—but Como’s principles are not borrowed; they are modern, clear and concise.

Put simply, Como look like a club moving with purpose. An identity, a coach with bright ideas, a squad with potential to grow and a league campaign that already feels ahead of schedule.

On the banks of Lake Como, they are not just keeping their heads above water. They are starting to make waves.

Read More: Achraf Hakimi Wins African Player of the Year 2025: First Defender in 52 Years to Claim Top Honor

FAQs