Lucas Da Cunha’s first-half penalty was enough to secure Como a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Udinese in a Serie A encounter where dominance didn’t translate into goals.
The Brazilian midfielder stepped up confidently in the 18th minute to convert from the spot, earning an impressive 8.3 match rating with his decisive finish and solid all-around display that included two interceptions. It would prove to be the only goal Como needed, though not for lack of trying.
Como dominated proceedings with 61.7% possession and unleashed 15 shots compared to Udinese’s mere three attempts. Yet only three of those efforts troubled Daniele Padelli, who made two crucial saves to keep the visitors within touching distance. The hosts’ wastefulness in front of goal nearly came back to haunt them when Niccolò Zaniolo thought he’d equalized in the 56th minute, only for VAR to correctly rule the effort offside.
The match grew increasingly fractious as Udinese desperately searched for a leveler. Hassane Kamara picked up a yellow card on 32 minutes and was subsequently withdrawn at halftime. The second half saw yellow cards brandished to Christian Kabasele and Kingsley Ehizibue as frustrations mounted, with Udinese boss making five substitutions in pursuit of an equalizer.
Como’s defensive unit stood firm when it mattered most. Ignace Van der Brempt (7.6 rating) marshaled the backline expertly, supported by Marc-Oliver Kempf and Alberto Moreno (both 7.3), while Maxence Caqueret controlled the midfield tempo before his 69th-minute withdrawal.
Despite Udinese’s higher tackle success rate (80% to 70%) and more interceptions (13 to 10), they failed to register a single shot on target—a damning statistic that ultimately sealed their fate. Como held on through five minutes of late substitutions to claim three vital points.
