Como’s Nico Paz Dominates Serie A’s Next-gen Playmaker Showdown | Nicky Bandini

The pre-game buzz had this arsenic a showdown betwixt 2 of world football’s astir intriguing young No 10s, Como’s Nico Paz v Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz. A 21-year-old Argentina world whose dazzling debut run successful Serie A persuaded Tottenham to make an unsuccessful €70m bid to bargain him successful nan summer, taking connected nan 20-year-old trequartista pinch 25 appearances already for Turkey’s nationalist team.

Fabio Capello could not prime betwixt them, ranking Paz and Yildiz alongside Roma’s Matías Soulé arsenic nan finest “fantasisti” – creator playmakers – successful Serie A today. The newspaper Il Giornale played connected nan players’ garment number and young property arsenic they billed it arsenic a conflict “da ‘10’ (e lode)”. In nan Italian world system, a people of 110 e lode (with honours) is nan highest 1 tin achieve.

Was it each a small manufactured? There is acute consciousness successful Italy astir really Serie A’s spending powerfulness has diminished, moreover its richest clubs nary longer capable to compete financially against European rivals pinch 2-3 times their yearly income. The request to nurture and create young talent has ne'er been greater. It tin beryllium tempting, successful that context, to get up of oneself immoderate clip a caller imaginable starts to emerge.

Still, these players were starting – and starring – for their teams. Yildiz had been Juventus’s astir basal attacking subordinate truthful acold this season, pinch a extremity and 3 assists successful his first six convention games, positive a further 1 of each successful Europe. Capello noted really he was much two-footed than Paz. “The Argentinian [also] has much state of expression, Kenan has to woody pinch much unit because of his club’s context.”

Francesco Totti offered a different perspective. Put connected nan spot pinch a mobility astir young Italian talents during a promotional quality for a betting company, nan erstwhile Roma skipper could not sanction moreover 1 he felt excited about. “Let’s opportunity correct now location aren’t many,” said Totti. “The only feline I’m watching correct now, who isn’t Italian, is Nico Paz. He intrigues maine a lot.”

How could he not? Paz opened this play pinch a spectacular free-kick extremity against Lazio, and moreover that mightiness not person been arsenic memorable arsenic nan assistance he made successful nan aforesaid game, spinning distant from Nuno Tavares earlier releasing Tasos Douvikas pinch a through-ball that travelled half nan magnitude of nan transportation without leaving nan ground.

Few had moreover expected to spot Paz return to Como this season. He joined from Real Madrid past summer, but nan Spanish nine clasp a buy-back action that would person allowed them to motion him for conscionable €9m. Pocket change, for a subordinate named arsenic Serie A’s champion Under-23 performer aft bagging a mixed 14 goals and assists successful 2024-25. With Luka Modric departing, Madrid had abstraction for caller imaginative talent.

They opted alternatively to prioritise nan signing of nan winger Franco Mastantuono, 3 years younger, from River Plate. With Arda Güler already primed for nan No 10 role, Madrid could not guarantee Paz nan playing opportunities he craved. Their buy-back action runs done to 2027, pinch only a gentle summation successful value for each further twelvemonth they hold to workout it, truthful it made consciousness to time off him astatine Como for this year.

Madrid are besides entitled to half of immoderate transportation interest should nan subordinate beryllium sold to a different nine instead. The truth Tottenham’s bid was rejected whitethorn speak arsenic overmuch to Xabi Alonso’s liking successful yet bringing Paz backmost to nan Santiago Bernabéu arsenic it does to Como’s beardown financial position, owned arsenic they are by nan billionaire Hartono brothers.

The knowledge Paz was staying put whitethorn besides person helped dissuade Cesc Fàbregas from seeking retired caller pastures himself. The Como head had plentifulness of suitors, from Inter to Bayer Leverkusen, aft starring his nine to a top-half decorativeness connected their return to Serie A.

He has moreover amended devices astatine his disposal this clip around. Como spent much than €140m connected transfers complete nan summer, pinch header signings including nan teenage wingers Jesús Rodríguez and Jayden Addai from Real Betis and AZ Alkmaar, arsenic good arsenic Martin Baturina and Nicolas Kühn, who delivered standout European performances for Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic past season.

Still, though, Paz has been nan star, sitting conscionable down a lone striker successful Fàbregas’s 4-2-3-1. From location he drops readily to either side, showing a flimsy penchant to drift correct and trim successful from location connected to his stronger near foot. From that broadside he provided nan assistance for Como’s opening extremity against Juventus connected Sunday.

Cesc Fàbregas has recovered a prima successful Nico Paz astatine nan bosom of Como’s 4-2-3-1. Photograph: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Moments aft posing beside nan transportation pinch his latest individual accolade, Serie A’s Rising Star of The Month grant for September, Paz trotted backmost complete to return a corner. He played nan shot short to Lucas da Cunha, who returned it to him pinch a backheel. Paz past swung a transverse pinch his near footwear towards nan acold post, wherever Marc Oliver Kempf arrived to unit it home.

This was only nan 4th minute, but already Paz was connected nan measurement to ensuring that his duel pinch Yildiz would beryllium little a shootout than an execution. Juventus’s No 10 did his best, carrying nan shot guardant wherever he could and delivering much threat than his teammates, but Como’s was a spectacle each clip he touched nan ball: teeing up Álvaro Morata here, moving distant from defenders there, dummying a touch 1 measurement only to execute a one-two pinch nan bottommost of his weaker ft in-between.

Perhaps Totti was right. There are plentifulness of talented young players but moreover successful elite shot only a fistful of typical ones, and week by week Paz looks ever much for illustration he belongs to nan second category. A panic successful possession but besides retired of it, harassing opponents relentlessly pinch his 1.86 metres (6ft 1in) frame.

He sealed nan points pinch a gorgeous 79th-minute winner. After receiving a walk from Máximo Perrone connected nan correct flank adjacent to halfway, he accelerated done nan adjacent 30 yards, jagged backmost wrong Andrea Cambiaso and collapsed nan shot into nan acold corner. The thousand-yard look connected nan Juventus full-back’s look said it all.

This was expected to person been an opportunity for nan Bianconeri to asseverate their title credentials. A triumph would person moved them level pinch Inter astatine nan top, temporarily, up of Milan’s crippled connected Sunday evening. Instead, Juventus were near to contemplate nan imaginable of a adjacent lucifer distant to a Madrid squad truthful overloaded pinch talent that it could see a subordinate for illustration Paz – for this play astatine slightest – surplus to requirements.

Meanwhile, Como vanished nan play sixth successful nan Serie A table. Much of their occurrence must beryllium credited to Fàbregas, whose gathered his players connected nan transportation astatine full-time to share pinch them “only 1 word. Only 1 word. I’m truthful fucking proud of you.”

Still, it is difficult to look past nan contributions by Paz, who has either scored aliases assisted 8 of Como’s 9 goals this season. “He’s a champion,” said Fàbregas successful a post-game interview. “I’m very calm astir him and his future. With this humility, and this hunger, he tin spell wherever he wants to go.”