Nico Paz has 4 goals and 5 assists in 10 matches across Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season. The latest night was the loudest version of it yet, as the Como midfielder scored twice and set up another goal in a 4-1 win over Manchester United at the Stadio Sinigaglia. UEFA then named him in the Champions League Team of the Week.
Como's attack runs through Paz
The performance against United was not a one-off flourish. Paz now has 4 goals and 5 assists in his first 10 matches across the two competitions, which is the sort of output that changes how opponents look at a team. When one player is directly involved in nine goals that quickly, the attack stops looking shared and starts looking built around him.
Cesc Fàbregas has every reason to keep leaning on that. Como's rise has been visible in the table too, with the club 5th in Serie A on 14 points after seven matches and 9th in the Champions League on 6 points after three. Paz is central to both counts, and the United game was the clearest proof of why.
The Argentina conversation around him
The other layer to Paz's week is the one that followed the football. Speaking to Estadio Deportivo, he said: "I was born in Spain. I love both countries, but in the end I decided to represent Argentina. I think it is the country that represents me the most, because of how football is lived and because of my father, to follow in his footsteps is a pride. He played at the Olympic Games and a World Cup. A pride to follow in his footsteps."
He also said: "He is an adviser, he has lived this world, he knows more than anyone. But he leaves me calm, he lets me decide, to do what I feel. He does not push me into decisions, he leaves me free". Argentine media have already pushed the Messi comparison, but that remains a media frame, not a settled label. The firmer point is simpler: Paz is producing elite numbers for Como, and Europe is starting to treat him like a headline act.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
