Como and Cesc Fabregas make a statement in Serie A ahead of Champions League debut

ROME (AP) — Como is no longer Serie A’s surprise package. The big-spending club located on the fashionable lake is shaping up as a possible Italian league contender.

A 2-1 weekend win at Napoli — which has won Serie A twice in the last four seasons — boosted Como’s confidence before Cesc Fabregas’ team makes its Champions League debut with Manchester United, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona among its opponents.

“Winning at the Maradona is not normal,” Fabregas said, referring to Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Como finished fourth ahead of Juventus and AC Milan last season to claim Serie A’s final Champions League spot with a high-pressing brand of soccer that is uncommon in Italy.

Pressing was again decisive against Napoli, as Como players swarmed forward and produced a turnover that led to the winning goal from Anastasios Douvikas.

Douvikas, a Greece center forward, also scored in a 1-1 draw at Udinese in Como’s opener — after leading the team with 14 last season, which tied him for second on the league-wide chart.

“Tasos has the power of a horse,” Fabregas said, using Douvikas' nickname.

Still, with the Champions League looming, Fabregas wants Como to sign another player with the potential to score a bundle of goals. His eye is on Italy center forward Moise Kean, who is set to leave Fiorentina before the transfer market closes on Tuesday.

“Obviously, I expect a striker,” Fabregas said. “Douvikas can’t play in Serie A, the Italian Cup and the Champions League. We have only one striker.”

Alvaro Morata alternated with Douvikas last season but missed three months due to injury and has now been loaned to Spanish second-division side Leganes.

“We played with a false nine many times,” Fabregas said. “Playing every three days at this level isn’t easy.”

The victory at Napoli raised the possibility of whether Como could contend for the Italian title.

“We’re only in the second round. And soon we’re going to be entering a new world,” Fabregas said, referring to the Champions League.

Having played in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago, it’s the first time in Como’s 119-year history that it has qualified for a continental competition.

For the occasion, Como’s Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium has had to undergo modifications and will have a capacity of only slightly more than 10,000 for European matches.

Como’s Champions League debut will be at the Sinigaglia against Leipzig on Sept. 10, with United to visit in October and PSG in January.

While Kean is yet to arrive, Como’s biggest offseason move may have been convincing Real Madrid not to exercise its buy-back option on 21-year-old playmaker Nico Paz and let the Argentina international stay for a third season.

While it already had the best defense in Serie A last season, Como has also bolstered its backline with the signing of center back Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea for 30 million euros ($35 million).

In midfield, Fabregas has been impressed by 31-year-old Luis Milla, who has started both matches since transferring from Getafe.

“Milla is very underrated in Spain, but it’s normal. There are so many great players that sometimes we tend to forget the others, who are not Pedri or Rodri,” Fabregas said. “I’ve been following for a long time. He's had a steadily rising career, and now it’s his time to play in the Champions League. We try to bring young players here, but I’m happy for him and many others.”

Among the team’s younger midfielders, 23-year-old Martin Baturina remains a steady presence and scored the opener against Napoli for his seventh goal in Serie A since joining from Dinamo Zagreb before last season. Since Baturina's first goal for Como in November, only Paz, Scott McTominay and Nikola Vlasic (eight each) have scored more over the same span among midfielders in the Italian league.

Up next for Como: a visit to Daniele De Rossi's Genoa on Friday. Then nearly a week off before starting its Champions League campaign.

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