Como vs. Pisa – News and Probable Lineups

A week after breaking their four-month search for a Serie A win, Pisa will visit Champions League contenders Como with the goal of achieving consecutive victories in round 30.

The triumph over Cagliari marked only the second win for the Nerazzurri since their promotion, but mirroring that success at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia will necessitate significantly more effort.

Match overview

Pisa was expected to conclude their 17-match winless league streak against Cagliari, and the Towers were invigorated by captain Antonio Caracciolo, whose two goals propelled the struggling side to a 3-1 victory.

Even a sending-off for Rafiu Durosinmi after 37 minutes while leading 1-0 did not thwart them, as Oscar Hiljemark’s team held firm and scored two additional goals, despite Adam Obert receiving a red card for Cagliari following a consolation goal.

The overall outcome of that victory — this season’s second for Pisa in the league — keeps the Black and Blues at the bottom of Serie A, tied on 18 points with Hellas Verona but a daunting nine points shy of 17th-placed Lecce.

Emphasizing the challenging road ahead is the Nerazzurri’s winless away form this season, with Hiljemark taking charge of a team that has yet to reach double digits in points away from home.

Pisa enters Sunday’s fixture without a victory in 14 away matches, though they have drawn eight and lost six, scoring 16 while conceding 31.

Interestingly, the 16 goals scored on the road surpass the totals of seven teams in the league, even though possessing the worst defensive record has ultimately hampered their chances of away success.

Como will aim to take advantage of Pisa’s defensive frailties as they seek to bolster their own chances of securing a spot among the division’s Champions League positions.

The Lariani’s latest win — a 2-1 achievement over Roma — has put them three points ahead of the capital club with 51 points, while fifth-placed Juventus (53) remains in between them in the race for a place in Europe’s elite competition next season.

Cesc Fabregas’s side has now extended their unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions, five of which have been in Serie A following a 2-1 loss at home to Fiorentina in mid-February.

Since that defeat in Lombardy, however, the Lariani have accumulated 13 points from a possible 15, winning four consecutive matches in the top flight, including impressive victories over Juventus and Roma.

While clean sheets have been a rarity, with Como conceding in five of their last six league outings, supporters will certainly be content as long as the Biancoblu continue to secure crucial victories to keep their Champions League aspirations alive as the season concludes.

Leading the form table over the last five matches, Fabregas’s team now aims to secure another favorable result to maintain pressure on Juventus and potentially apply some to Napoli, who enter the weekend five points ahead of the Lariani.

Team News

Fabregas will have a largely fit squad for Sunday, with Jayden Addai being the only absentee for Como ahead of round 30.

Como will rely on the scoring ability of Anastasios Douvikas and Nico Paz, who have netted 10 and nine goals, respectively, as they prepare for the visit of the league’s second-bottom team.

Only Lautaro Martinez from Inter de Milão (14) has scored more than Douvikas’s 10 ahead of this weekend, with three of those efforts being match-winners, making the Greek forward pivotal for the Biancoblu on Sunday.

On the other hand, Pisa faces a multitude of absentees due to injuries and suspensions: Durosinmi and Michel Aebischer will be serving bans this weekend, while Marius Marin, Simone Scuffet, Juan Cuadrado, Lorran, Isak Vural, Daniel Denoon, and Arturo Calabresi are all undergoing treatment.

The visiting side’s hopes rest on six-goal scorer Stefano Moreo, particularly as five of his six goals have come in away matches, and he aims to further that tally this weekend.

Como probable starting XI:

Butez; Van Der Brempt, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Caqueret, De Cunha; Vojvodina, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas

Pisa probable starting XI:

Nicholas; Coppola, Canestrelli, Caracciolo; Leris, Hojholt, Loyola, Angori; tramoni; Moreo, Stojilkovic

Despite Pisa’s renewed confidence after their win against Cagliari, Fabregas’s in-form side is unlikely to overlook the chance to solidify their position for a Champions League spot.

With Como’s attacking fluidity and solid home record, they are expected to prevail against a Pisa side that continues to seek consistency on their travels, and the Lariani should come out on top in Sunday’s afternoon fixture.