Nico Paz should not be a Como player. If you think back to the end of last season, there was little chance that Nico Paz would not be bought back by Real Madrid. At the start of the year, Como tried to remove the buy-back clause in the contract with the Spanish club, but they refused. Soon after, it was said and written that Xabi Alonso wanted to integrate him into the team immediately, even in time for the Club World Cup.
Of course, it would have disappointed us, but we had accepted it. After all, we knew from the start that sooner or later, if things went well, Nico Paz would return to Madrid. Or at least to a prestigious club: Inter explored the possibility of signing him, Tottenham reportedly offered around seventy million, and there were reports of AC Milan trying to sign him. The player would be a great addition for the Rossoneri and a very strong asset who would surely learn a lot from the likes of Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, and Christian Pulisic as well as Rafael Leao.
By the way, Milan fans who love riding the wave of Rossoneri momentum (or who just want to make every weekend more interesting) are increasingly checking out the sports betting tanzania scene on platforms like Betway. Right now you can back Milan in their next fixture, or even take a cheeky bet on Nico Paz and Como, because you can trust this author when he says: facing them is no walk in the park.
Nico Paz is still a Como player for this 2025/2026 season. Real Madrid preferred to focus on another Argentine talent, Mastantuono, and postpone his return. This seems strange not only economically, re-signing him would cost Madrid only around ten million, but also because of Nico Paz’s technical brilliance. One match, and in particular one play, was enough to remind us of his technical superiority in the context of Italian football, in case we had forgotten.
When Nico Paz produced a masterclass against Lazio:
Como beat Lazio in the opening match, and despite spending one hundred million on the market (a lot, especially compared to Lazio’s zero due to force majeure), it was not a given. Fabregas' team came off an exciting summer, defeating Lille, Ajax, and Betis, marred only by a 0-5 loss to Barcelona. The market brought in players like Jesus Rodriguez and right-wingers Nicolas Khun and Jayden Addai. Serie A is rough and unforgiving, and Fabregas chose not to play his new talents on the right but a fullback like Vojvoda, likely as a defensive move to contain Nuno Tavares.
Last year, Como lost 1-5 at home to Lazio. This year, Fabregas' team overwhelmed Maurizio Sarri’s squad with unexpected aggressiveness and technical control. By halftime, Como had 71% possession. Yet the match was still scoreless and Como had no real chances, except perhaps a Vojvoda shot saved by Provedel. Nico Paz had two shots off target and was booked for a foul at midfield.
Then, one minute into the second half, he had a flash of brilliance. Something exceptional yet natural for Nico Paz. Something that now seems easy because we know he did it, but at the time hit like Thor’s hammer.
Nico Paz received the ball in his half. Behind him was the touchline, and he was lower than the wide player on that side, Vojvoda. He controlled with his right foot, orienting toward the center, and immediately faced one of last year’s best fullbacks, Nuno Tavares, one of the most athletic.
He was already on his strong foot. He could drive inside and race Nuno Tavares (good luck there) or simply pass centrally to Douvikas, who was signaling for the ball. What makes Nico Paz special was his intuition at that moment.
He made a heavy step to the right, a feint that unbalanced Nuno Tavares just enough to allow him to pivot onto his left foot and glide past him. Nico Paz rotated on himself like a well-oiled hinge, Tavares stretched a leg but it was too late.
Pause and ask yourself: how many players would think to od that spin on the outside? Few, very few.
Nico Paz reached midfield, Cataldi waiting ahead, defenders behind. He didn’t hesitate, saw Douvikas running between Gila and Provstgaard, and played a vertical ball that slid across the Sinigaglia pitch like a billiard ball on green felt. Douvikas’ run was slightly outside, coming from the center, but the ball went straight toward the goal. He had to jump to keep it under control. The ball dictated his movement, drawing him toward the box. The Greek striker finished expertly and a bit lucky, with a non-decisive deflection off Provedel’s leg.
Nico Paz’s play cut through Lazio’s defense like a samurai sword and opened the game. Lazio could have equalized through Castellanos, but the goal was disallowed for an offside invisible even in digital replay. Immediately after, Nico Paz scored the second goal, a left-footed free kick from the left with a curl to the near post, a masterstroke. In the assist he used the outside of his foot to beat Nuno Tavares, in the goal he used the inside to surprise Provedel with a wide trajectory.
With that left foot and calculation, his pass to Douvikas was millimetric, Nico Paz can do anything in Serie A. When people say the league’s level is low, they ignore players like him. Is Mastantuono really more ready for Real Madrid than him?
Credit is also due to Como and Fabregas, who, if things had gone last year, would have been accused of naivety or even foolishness for building a team around players like Nico Paz.
