Como secured a 3-1 win at Fiorentina as Mattia Liberali marked his first start for the club with his maiden Serie A goal, while the hosts were left frustrated by a controversial VAR decision.
Fiorentina had hoped the return of coach Paolo Vanoli would spark a revival, but their 2-1 defeat by Genoa represented another setback. Luca Ranieri, Arthur Atta and Fabiano Parisi were unavailable, while Mateo Pellegrino returned to the team to partner Franco Mastantuono.
Como arrived under pressure after taking one point from their previous two Serie A matches and losing their first Champions League fixture to Feyenoord. Assane Diao joined Moise Kean on the injury list in that game, ruling the Italy international out of a meeting with his former club.
Liberali was handed his first start, although Yan Couto withdrew during the warm-up and was replaced by Ivan Smolcic.
The match also brought together former colleagues, with Vanoli having served as Antonio Conte’s assistant manager at Chelsea when Cesc Fabregas was a player.
Pedro Goncalves made his first start and quickly sent Alieu Njie through, only for Marc-Oliver Kempf to intervene. Goncalves then set up Niccolo Fagioli, whose effort was deflected wide by a desperate block.
Como lost Trevoh Chalobah to a muscular injury early on, with Jacobo Ramon coming on in his place.
David De Gea had to push Lucas Da Cunha’s curling effort around the post and then parried a Tasos Douvikas header from the resulting corner. Liberali fired the loose ball wide, before De Gea produced another sharp save to tip a Nico Paz header over the crossbar. Cher Ndour also blocked a powerful Douvikas volley with his face.
Fiorentina went close when Mastantuono’s low cross found Pellegrino, but Jacobo Ramon’s deflection took the ball away from goal and helped Jean Butez.
Como opened the scoring in the 32nd minute amid controversy. Kempf appeared to foul Pedro Goncalves at the start of the counter-attack, but play continued and Liberali produced an excellent left-foot finish from inside the area into the far bottom corner.
It was the 19-year-old’s first Serie A goal and Como’s first in the competition by an Italian player since Patrick Cutrone scored in May 2025.
Nico Paz doubled the advantage four minutes later, meeting Alex Valle’s cross with a powerful header that flew across De Gea and into the top corner.
Fiorentina reduced the deficit in the 42nd minute when Marin Pongracic followed up after Jacobo Ramon had cleared a Viery header off the line. Pongracic’s finish from seven yards was his first Serie A goal.
The hosts thought they had equalised in first-half stoppage time, but Pongracic’s cushioned volley from Mastantuono’s free-kick was ruled out for offside following a four-minute VAR review. Semi-Automatic Offside Technology was not working during the check.
Como restored their two-goal lead in the 56th minute. Nico Paz released Douvikas with a precise pass after Pedro Goncalves lost possession, and the forward’s shot slipped beneath De Gea.
Fiorentina continued to threaten, but Njie missed a major opportunity in the 76th minute, heading Marco Brescianini’s cross against the post from only a couple of yards. Fagioli also forced two saves from Butez with curling efforts, while De Gea denied Maxence Caqueret and Pongracic blocked Bruno Kaiki’s close-range attempt.
