Cesc Fabregas’ Como 1907 continue to rewrite the club’s modern history. By eliminating Napoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, the Lombardy side have confirmed their status as the standout surprise of Italian football this season. A tense penalty shootout requiring 16 attempts was needed to separate the teams. The decisive moment came when Stanislav Lobotka missed from the spot, sealing a memorable victory at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Como had not reached this stage since the 1985-86 season. Nico Paz, Sergi Roberto and their teammates have now equalled the club’s best-ever cup run, knocking out the 2023 Italian champions on their own ground. Awaiting them is a two-legged semi-final against Inter Milan, another major test for a team that continues to exceed expectations.

The qualification reflected a blend of tactical intelligence and composure under pressure. On the touchline, Fabregas outmanoeuvred Antonio Conte, his former mentor at Chelsea, improving his record to two wins in three meetings against the experienced coach.

Como had taken the lead through a penalty converted by Martin Baturina. The decision followed a VAR review after Olivera brought down Smolcic inside the area. Baturina showed ice-cold composure to beat Milinkovic-Savic, despite the Serbian goalkeeper’s reputation as a penalty specialist.

Napoli responded immediately after the restart. Antonio Vergara equalised in the 46th minute, scoring his third goal of the season, adding to previous strikes in the Champions League and Serie A. With fatigue setting in and both sides stretched, the contest moved inevitably toward a shootout.

The decisive moments came from the spot. Romelu Lukaku missed, while Milinkovic-Savic produced a crucial save to keep Napoli alive. In a dramatic twist, the Serbian goalkeeper stepped up as the sixth taker and saw his effort hit the crossbar before bouncing off Butez and into the net. The tie was finally settled on the sixteenth penalty, when Butez denied Lobotka, sparking celebrations among the Como supporters. Forty years on, Como are back in the Coppa Italia semi-finals and will now face Inter Milan for a place in the final.

Antonio Vergara

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