Serie A | Sassuolo 2-1 Como: Grosso destroys Fabregas dream
Sassuolo cause an upset with a quickfire double of counter-attacks from Cristian Volpato and M’Bala Nzola, as Como see the Champions League dream slip away.
The Lariani rotated the squad after a chaotic 4-3 defeat to Inter put them into fifth place, and ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against the same opponents. Jayden Addai remained the only long-term absentee, but Alvaro Morata was given a rare start. The Neroverdi had Domenico Berardi and Josh Doig suspended after the ill-tempered loss to Genoa, with Darryl Bakola, Filippo Romagna, Daniel Boloca, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Fali Cande injured, giving Stefano Turati a surprise chance in goal.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Sassuolo had a huge chance within 20 seconds, as Kristian Thorstvedt’s finish from the edge of the area was deflected just wide by Jacobo Ramon.
Thorstvedt was also brought down just outside the area by Ramon for a yellow card, Armand Laurienté seeing his resulting free kick palmed out from under the bar.
Alberto Moreno sliding in at the back post just failed to connect with a Nico Paz cross, while Turati scrambled to fingertip a Nico Paz snooker shot round the base of the upright.
Como were caught totally unbalanced on their corner kick, as Laurienté sent M’Bala Nzola on the counter-attack and his slide-rule pass found Cristian Volpato for a delightful lob from distance.
Barely two minutes later, Sassuolo repeated the trick, as this time Nzola ran onto the Laurienté through ball and finished it himself, beating the on-rushing Butez from inside the area for his first Serie A goal in the Neroverdi shirt.
However, Como got one back with the last kick of the half, as Nico Paz sent a looping, swerving header from Ivan Smolcic’s cross into the far from corner from just inside the box.
Cesc Fabregas made a triple change at the break, but Como had a huge chance to equalise on 69 minutes. Nico Paz gathered a ball over the top, flicked it around Woyo Coulibaly and went for the lob from a tricky angle, but Turati scrambled across to claw it off the line with Morata ready to bundle over from a yard.
There was a double desperate block, first from Jay Idzes on Tasos Douvikas, then Thorstvedt on Mergim Vojvoda, while Andrea Pinamonti failed to make the most of an Alberto Moreno error.
Como have just one point from the last three rounds and their hopes of a Champions League spot are now badly damaged.
Sassuolo 2-1 Como
Volpato 42 (S), Nzola 44 (S), Nico Paz 45+2 (C)
Player statistic
| 14' | Jacobo Ramón | |||
| 26' | Álvaro Morata | |||
| Cristian Volpato (Assist: M’Bala Nzola) |
42' | |||
| M’Bala Nzola (Assist: Armand Lauriente) |
44' | |||
| 45+2' |  |
Nico Paz (Assist: Ivan Smolcic) |
| Ismaël Koné | 51' | |||
| Cristian Volpato | 64' | |||
| 79' | Alberto Moreno | |||
| Kristian Thorstvedt |  |
82' |
