Massimiliano Allegri walks out at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the first time as Napoli manager on Sunday, 30 August 2026. He replaced Antonio Conte this summer and won his opening match 2-0 at Genoa on 22 August, with Kevin De Bruyne and Antonio Vergara scoring after his substitutions changed the game. Como arrive as a Champions League club for the first time in their history, having spent close to $151m in the summer window. Only Juventus spent more in Italy.
Form & what’s at stake
Napoli’s win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was not comfortable. Genoa hit the post through Vitinha inside seven minutes and stayed in it until Allegri went to his bench. De Bruyne and Vergara settled it late. That is a familiar Allegri pattern — win the game from the touchline, worry about the aesthetics later — and it is a noticeable break from Conte’s methods.
Como drew 1-1 at Udinese on the same day. Kamara put Udinese ahead on 29 minutes, and Tasos Douvikas levelled on 54. A point away from home on the opening weekend is fine. It is also the first of three consecutive away trips to open the season, which is a brutal draw for a club managing its first European campaign.
Cesc Fàbregas has been open about the squeeze. He has warned that Como may enter the Champions League with a list of only 16 or 17 players, because UEFA’s homegrown quotas punish a club that has bought heavily and has no academy pipeline to draw on. Spending $151m and still being short is a particular kind of modern problem.
Good to see Nico Paz back on a @SerieA pitch 💙 pic.twitter.com/AmZ8NAdTIP
— Como1907 (@Como_1907) August 25, 2026
Team news & injuries
Como’s headline signing is Nico Paz, brought back for a reported $70m and installed as the centrepiece of Fàbregas’s project. Yan Couto arrived on loan from Borussia Dortmund, with Luis Milla and Italy Under-21 international Liberali also added.
Napoli’s squad is largely the same as last season, with De Bruyne pulling the strings behind Rasmus Højlund. At the time of writing, Napoli will miss the following players due to injury: Boungiorno, Folorunsho, Marianucci, Mazzocchi, while Como has only one reported injured player, Addai. Good news for Como that Nico Paz is ready to play.
Predicted line-ups
Napoli: De Bruyne behind Højlund is the axis, and Allegri showed at Genoa that he will keep Vergara in reserve as a game-changer rather than a starter. Expect a compact, mid-block Napoli that does not chase the game early. Allegri does not need 70% possession and has never pretended otherwise.
Como: Fàbregas plays properly — high line, patient build-up, Nico Paz free between the lines. Couto gives the right side genuine width. Douvikas scored at Udinese and should lead the line again. This is a side built to pass, which is exactly what Allegri’s Napoli will be happy to allow.
🚨⚠️ Moise Kean show up late for training as he wants to leave Fiorentina in the final days and join Como.
The agreement on personal terms, done since last week as Como bid €40m package with add-ons included.
Up to Fiorentina. pic.twitter.com/GdU8dN2igE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2026
The key battle
Nico Paz against Napoli’s midfield screen. Everything Como do goes through him, and $70m buys a lot of expectation. Allegri’s whole career has been built on strangling players like Paz — denying the pocket, forcing the ball wide, waiting. If Paz finds space between the lines at the Maradona, Como can win here. If he spends 70 minutes receiving with his back to goal and a marker on his shoulder, they will not.
The second thread is De Bruyne against Como’s high line. Fàbregas defends aggressively up the pitch. De Bruyne has spent 15 years punishing exactly that.
Napoli vs Como Predictions & tips
The historical record is one-sided. Napoli have won 14 of 17 competitive meetings with Como in Naples, drawing one and losing two, and they have scored in every home game against them. Conte and Fàbregas split their two meetings last season, so this is not a hopeless fixture for the visitors.
But Como are three days into a three-game away run, adjusting to European football, with a squad Fàbregas himself says is stretched. Napoli have De Bruyne, home advantage and a manager who wins tight matches for a living.
Tip: Napoli win + under 3.5 goals. Predicted score: Napoli 2-0 Como.
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