Cesc Fabregas hints at his Como tactics for Nico Paz against Feyenoord and warns ‘the Champions League is unforgiving’ after making some intriguing changes.
It kicks off at the De Kuip Stadion in Rotterdam at 17.45 UK time (18.45 CEST).
Their historic first ever Champions League match was a thrilling 4-1 home victory over RB Leipzig, making them so far the only Italian side to register a win in the tournament so far this season.
The Lariani now visit Rotterdam to take on the current Eredivisie leaders, having managed just one point from their last two Serie A matches against Frosinone and 10-man Roma.
Fabregas keeps Como cards close to chest
Moise Kean is still out injured after that setback on international duty with Italy, but it is Nico Paz who seems to start as a False 9, even if that might not be the case with Martin Baturina and Assane Diao both also capable of rotating there.
“How they start is one thing, then how they find space on the pitch is another,” Fabregas told Sky Sport Italia.
“We have a limited squad in the Champions League, because Caqueret, Addai and Kean cannot play today, so we need to make changes and also prepare for Serie A, which is the most important thing for us.
“We’ll see how it goes today, we prepared based on how they defend, which is a bit more positional, and will try to hurt them in a different way.”
Nico Paz wears the captain’s armband from the start for the first time in his Como career, having previously only had the role as a substitute.
“I didn’t know he was the captain, I’d forgotten, they told me on the bus. It’s another step, the good thing about us as a club and staff is so many new challenges have emerged over the last three years, so individually and collectively, we’ve got to keep developing,” confessed Fabregas.
Alex Valle and Ivan Smolcic are the full-backs, as Yan Couto and Bruno Kaiki against Roma had been very attack-minded, so this is more of a defensive approach.
“I trust what I see in my squad, studying the opponents, and trusting my own experience as a player. Look at yesterday’s results, Bayern Munich held by Viking, Barcelona winning after they risked going 2-0 down.
“The Champions League is unforgiving, there are moments when you need a little more stability. Valle and Smolcic played all season and got fourth place in Serie A, so that is not to be sniffed at,” added Fabregas.
“We try to add something more to the team with every game. The most difficult context for me was against Roma, who play man for man all over the field, and we were not afraid of that. As coaches we have to think of something different in every match and hope that we get it right.”