Como vs Sassuolo Prediction: Fàbregas Side Target European Momentum in Serie A

Como host Sassuolo at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on 24 October 2026, a Serie A Matchweek 8 fixture that matters to both clubs for very different reasons. Sitting fifth with 14 points from seven games and a goal difference of plus five, Como are pushing hard for a European spot and the confidence in that dressing room right now is hard to overstate: three days after a 3-1 win at Fiorentina they put Manchester United away 4-1 in the Champions League. Sassuolo arrive 13th on eight points, yet to string two wins together since coming up and heading into this off the back of a painful 2-4 defeat at Frosinone before drawing 1-1 with Milan.

Cesc Fàbregas has been in sole charge at Como since July 2024, whereas Alberto Aquilani only took over Sassuolo in June 2026 after Fabio Grosso moved to Fiorentina. The two haven't faced each other at this level, so the contrast between Fàbregas's possession oriented approach and Aquilani's more reactive, counter attacking shape is about as much as we have to go on.

Como's form across their last seven league outings leans heavily on their performances at home, with four wins alongside a draw and a loss. The quick turnaround between Fiorentina and the United game, with Fàbregas rotating selectively across both fixtures, showed there is enough depth in this squad to handle a congested run. Sassuolo's recent run is more complicated: the 1-1 draw with Milan showed they can hold their own against top sides but they couldn't hold a lead on the road, as the 2-4 at Frosinone made clear.

Como are short in a few important areas. Trevoh Chalobah is out with a muscle injury until early November, Assane Diao is unavailable until mid November with a thigh problem and Moise Kean remains a doubt with ongoing fitness concerns. Fàbregas will lean on Nico Paz to drive things in midfield and Anastasios Douvikas to lead the line, with Martin Baturina pressing the first line to win the ball back and arriving late into the box to offer a third option in attack. Sassuolo are even shorter: Jay Idzes (thigh), Daniel Boloca (knee) and Yeferson Paz (knee) are all out and Ismaël Koné is sidelined long term after a broken ankle. Those absences gut their midfield and defensive depth, leaving Domenico Berardi as the main man in attack alongside Sebastiano Esposito and Armand Laurienté.

Fàbregas has built something at Como, with Paz as the engine of it, drifting between lines to pull Sassuolo's shape apart, while Douvikas offers a consistent run off the last defender's shoulder. The loss of Chalobah and Diao costs Como some physicality, so Baturina will need to keep the ball moving and maintain tempo. Aquilani's Sassuolo defend deep and look to counter through Berardi, with Esposito and Laurienté dropping to link play when out of possession. Koné and Boloca's absence reduces their ability to press high significantly and they'll likely spend large stretches defending in their own half. Berardi's reading of the game will matter when Sassuolo do get the ball back but the gaps left by the missing Idzes and Yeferson Paz could be exposed if Como shift play quickly to the flanks.

The most recent meeting ended 2-1 to Sassuolo in April 2026, though both squads look very different now. Como have become increasingly dangerous from dead balls under Fàbregas, particularly through short routines and near post deliveries and with Sassuolo's defensive options so depleted they'll be especially vulnerable to second phase situations. The quick turnaround from the midweek European win raises legitimate questions about freshness, though the United performance suggested rotation hasn't blunted them. Sassuolo's most realistic option is to defend deep and look to release Laurienté on the break but with the midfield decimated by injuries it is hard to see how they sustain that for 90 minutes.

A 2-1 home win for Como feels right. Paz should find enough space to pull Sassuolo apart and Douvikas's movement off the last defender makes him the likeliest scorer if Como get in behind early, with Baturina a real threat to add a second from midfield. Berardi will probably find a way back into it late on. The absences of Chalobah, Diao and possibly Kean actually push Como toward a more fluid, technical approach rather than a physical one, which suits their personnel better anyway. Sassuolo simply don't have the midfield bodies to sustain any kind of pressure and that's what will cost them.