Sassuolo created almost nothing as Como won 2-0

Anastasios Douvikas scored twice at home to Sassuolo, who failed to get a single shot on target.

Sassuolo had seven shots at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia and not one of them was on target. Expected goals, a score that rates each chance by how often that kind of shot goes in, came to 0.26 for the visitors. In their seven away games this season they have averaged 1.58, and they usually take 15.4 shots a match, so this was a far quieter afternoon than normal. Como won 2-0, and most of the difference came from one striker.

Anastasios Douvikas scored both goals, the first in the 49th minute just after the restart and the second in the 60th. Maxence Caqueret set up the first with a pass and Kaiki Bruno the second. Douvikas had four shots, three of them on target, and his rating of 9 was the best on the pitch by a clear margin. The other players in the match matter less than what he did with the chances he was given.

Como had 56% of the ball, which sounds like control but is below their usual 60.9% at home. Sassuolo had 44%, against their usual 48% away. Both sides held less than they normally do, so the gap between them was narrower than usual. This was a match decided by who finished chances, not by who kept the ball.

Como took 14 shots, fewer than their usual 20.3 at home, though close to the league's typical 13.9 shots per side. Their expected goals of 1.63 sits a little under their usual 1.78, so the chances were slightly below their normal level in both number and quality. Twelve of those shots came from inside the box, and six were on target, which is why the Sassuolo goalkeeper S. Turati had four saves to make.

Sassuolo's problem was getting into dangerous positions at all. Only three of their seven shots came from inside the box, five missed the target and two were blocked. They conceded two goals, which is exactly their usual figure, so the defensive side of their game held up. Their attack was the part that went missing, because they usually score 1.7 goals a game away and scored none here. Neither side was reduced to ten men, and each picked up two yellow cards.

Como are fifth in the table on 14 points from seven games, with four wins, two draws and one defeat. Sassuolo are 13th on 8 points, having won two, drawn two and lost three. Sassuolo sit well below Como in the standings and have now lost three of their seven matches. Their results this season have included a lot of narrow defeats, and this one was not close.

Como have scored 12 goals this season and conceded seven. Sassuolo have scored the same 12 but conceded 14, twice as many as Como have let in.

Player of the matchT. Douvikas2 goals9.0

Kaiki1 assist7.8

M. Caqueret1 assist7.7

M. Perrone1 chance created7.6