Sassuolo secured their first-ever home win against Como with a 2-1 victory, handing Cesc Fàbregas’ side back-to-back defeats for the first time since December.

From the outset, Como looked like the more motivated side, dominating possession in the opening half as they continued their push for European qualification. Sassuolo, meanwhile, were content to sit deep and absorb the pressure.

The visitors came into the match off the back of a disappointing loss to Inter, where they surrendered a two-goal lead, and their struggles in front of goal resurfaced here. Despite their control, Como lacked the cutting edge, and Sassuolo capitalised ruthlessly just before the break with two quickfire goals.

A swift counter-attack from deep saw M’Bala Nzola find space before threading a precise pass through to Cristian Volpato, who calmly lifted his first-time finish over Jean Butez to open the scoring.

Moments later, Sassuolo doubled their advantage. Nzola turned from creator to scorer, finishing confidently inside the box for his first goal since November.

Como did respond before half-time, however, as Nico Paz pulled one back in stoppage time with a looping header that nestled into the top corner, setting the stage for a compelling second half.

Despite conceding late in the first half, the Neroverdi entered the second period with confidence, having won every Serie A match in which they’ve led at the break this season.

As the hour mark approached, Jean Butez was called into action to keep Como in the contest, reacting sharply to deny Cristian Volpato as Sassuolo pushed for a third goal.

However, with just over 20 minutes to play, Nico Paz came within inches of levelling the score. His delicate lofted effort beat Stefano Turati, but the Sassuolo goalkeeper recovered just in time to stop the ball from crossing the line, preserving his side’s narrow advantage.

Despite dominating possession for much of the match, Como rarely threatened to find an equaliser, eventually falling to their first away defeat since December.

Sassuolo, meanwhile, continued their strong home form, securing a fourth win from their last five matches on their own turf in what has been an impressive return to the top flight. The victory lifts them two places into ninth and back into the top half of the table.

For Como, the result is a frustrating setback. They remain in fifth place, but their gap to the top four could stretch to five points by the end of the round.