Fabregas: ‘Como play to win, we identify the engine of the Inter team’

Cesc Fabregas reassures Como will ‘play for the win’ against Inter at San Siro and identifies the ‘engine’ of the opposing team, plus where Nico Paz needs to improve.

It kicks off at San Siro at 17.00 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s three Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The extent of Como’s improvement this season is evident in the fact there are only three points separating them from Inter going into this weekend, so a win would allow them to catch the Scudetto contenders.

They are unbeaten in 11 Serie A rounds and have Ivan Smolcic back from suspension, but Sergi Roberto and Edoardo Goldaniga are still out of action.

“It is an important match for us, part of a process in growing the maturity and culture. One day we want to consistently be involved in games like this, so that means using our mentality, coming here to play for the win, as it’s only way to grow,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“There are things we keep consistent in every game. Obviously, we are against top opponents and in a strong atmosphere, but it’s about mentality, I want my lads to express everything they do in training, regardless of the surroundings.

“We always try to push hard, in any game.”

Como demolished Torino 5-1 a couple of weeks ago and they too played with a three-man defence, so will there be a similar tactical approach against Inter?

“It is very important to press their best players who start the moves, so Calhanoglu, Bastoni and Dimarco. The first thing I try to identify when facing any opponent is who is the engine of the team. We try to mark that figure out of the game.”

Inter had wanted both coach Fabregas and star forward Nico Paz over the summer, but Como were not even prepared to discuss losing either of them. The Argentine has done far better at home than away, so is performing in these venues the next step in his progress?

“Nico Paz has been working so well for almost a year and a half, he wants to play in atmospheres like this regularly in his career, so we hope this is an opportunity for him to do well,” concluded the coach.