Serie A: Como eye Champions League after narrow Udinese win | OneFootball

A penalty decided by the captain in the 18th minute: absolute dominance by the home team in the first half, then in the second half, the Friulians also emerge, but they stop at Zaniolo's disallowed goal.

Serie A, the preview: Como "sees" the Champions League zone. Narrow victory against Udinese

Como surpasses Udinese thanks to Da Cunha's penalty in the first half. Fabregas's team then came close to doubling several times and hit the crossbar with Douvikas in the second half. Little from Udinese, who did not go beyond Zaniolo's disallowed goal in the second half.

Como continues to grow and does so with solidity. A very significant victory against Udinese at Sinigaglia: 1-0 the final score, signed by Lucas Da Cunha from the penalty spot. For the team led by Cesc Fàbregas, this is the second consecutive victory after the one obtained against Lecce in the last matchday of 2025, a strong signal in terms of standings and confidence.

A bitter day instead for Udinese, who return home without points and confirm a not very bright moment: only one victory in the last five league matches.

First half: balance and the episode that decides the match

The start of Como-Udinese is characterized by low rhythms and a long phase of mutual study. The two teams face each other with caution, without exposing themselves excessively, leaving little room for individual initiatives.

A key episode breaks the balance: Piotrowski intervenes late on Moreno inside the penalty area. The referee has no doubts and points to the spot. From the spot, Da Cunha is ice-cold, sending Padelli the wrong way and putting Como ahead.

After the goal, the game does not change its face. The pace remains controlled, with Como more present in the opponent's half and Udinese struggling to find clean passing lines. Davis and Zaniolo are well contained by the fluid system set up by Fàbregas, which continues to offer no reference points to the Friulians.

Second half: Sterile Udinese, solid and dangerous Como

In the second half, Udinese tries to raise their center of gravity. At the start, Ekkelenkamp attempts a deep shot, but it goes wide. In the 55th minute, the illusion of an equalizer arrives: Miller finds the right corridor for Zaniolo, who skips past the goalkeeper and deposits in the net. However, the action is annulled for offside.

Como does not just defend and in the 60th minute comes close to doubling: Douvikas receives the ball in the area and shoots decisively, hitting the full crossbar. It is the chance that could have definitively closed the match.

In the final stages, Fàbregas's team manages the lead with maturity, maintaining compactness and order. Udinese continues to struggle in offensive construction, unable to create real goal-scoring opportunities.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.