Football Italia
·19 October 2024
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·19 October 2024
Nico Paz’s first Serie A goal gave Como a point after Parma had taken the lead with a sensational Ange-Yoan Bonny back-heel flick.
Both sides were promoted from Serie B last season and had very different starts to this term. Cesc Fabregas had eight points, including 3-2 wins over Atalanta and Verona, while the Ducali scraped two draws from the last five rounds.
Woyo Coulibaly was suspended for the visitors, with Alessandro Circati, Nahuel Estevez and Mateusz Kowalski injured. Hollywood stars Hugh Grant and Andrew Garfield were guests in the stands, along with new director Raphael Varane.
Gabriel Strefezza had a great early chance on the Nico Paz assist, but his half-volley from the edge of the area skimmed the crossbar.
Pontus Almqvist hit the upright moments later at the other end, but it wouldn’t have counted due to Ange Yoan Bonny’s handling offence in the build-up.
Parma took the lead with a simply sensational bit of skill and improvisation from Bonny. The ball was rolled across from the right by Hernani and Bonny with his back to goal held off the defender just enough to flick it off his heel, wrong-footing everyone as it slowly found its way into the far bottom corner. It was very similar to a goal scored for Parma by Hernan Crespo.
Patrick Cutrone’s header was denied by a Zion Suzuki reaction save, but Parma almost added a second with a bizarre free kick from Adrian Bernabé that took on a remarkable mid-air swerve to completely bemuse the goalkeeper, thumping the crossbar.
epa11668946 Como�s Nico Paz (L) challenges for the ball with Parma�s Hernani during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Como 1907 and Parma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como, Italy, 19 October 2024. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI
Instead, Como managed to equalise with the first Serie A goal for Real Madrid youth product Nico Paz. He celebrated his senior debut for Argentina this week, then sprung the offside trap to control the Fadera through ball and score from eight yards.
Norbert Balogh threw himself in the path of the Cutrone angled drive, while Valentin Mihaila came so close to a Parma equaliser on the hour mark, his snapshot from outside the D thumping the base of the far post.
Luca Mazzitelli just failed to get on the end of a Nico Paz free kick at the back stick, as Como came closest to a winner.
Bonny 20 (P), Nico Paz 45 (C)