Serie A Daily Report - 2026-10-14: Como suffer first Champions League defeat at Feyenoord

Como lost 3-2 to Feyenoord on Wednesday in their first Champions League away match. Assane Diao gave the Serie A side an 18th-minute lead, but Gjivai Zechiel equalised two minutes later before Anis Hadj Moussa and a Robert Sánchez own goal put Feyenoord ahead. Tasos Douvikas scored in stoppage time, although the late effort could not prevent Como from suffering their first defeat in the competition. The result followed Como’s impressive 4-1 opening victory over RB Leipzig and underlined the sharper demands of European football away from home.

Cesc Fabregas accepted that Como may have made mistakes in managing the match, while insisting the defeat formed part of the club’s learning process. He said the team had dominated during the final 30 minutes but acknowledged Feyenoord deserved to win. Diao was forced off after 23 minutes with a muscular problem and will be assessed, adding to the absences already affecting the squad. Como must now recover quickly, with Fabregas stressing that Serie A remains the club’s main priority as it balances domestic ambitions with its historic European campaign.

Real Madrid beat Roma in a seven-goal Champions League thriller on Wednesday, completing a late comeback with Antonio Rüdiger’s 90th-minute winner. Roma had led by two goals with 10 minutes remaining, but Carlos Espí and Endrick drew Real level before Rüdiger settled the contest. The German defender did not celebrate, having spent two seasons with Roma between 2015 and 2017. The defeat denied Gian Piero Gasperini’s side a notable home result after their unbeaten start to the Serie A campaign and their opening 1-1 draw at Fenerbahçe.

Roma’s performance nevertheless offered evidence that they could compete with elite European opposition for long periods. Fabio Capello had expected an aggressive approach and identified Paulo Dybala as a major threat before kick-off, while Roma’s recent 0-0 draw at Como had also prompted praise for their first-half football. The late collapse will instead leave Gasperini addressing concentration and game management, particularly after Roma had established a two-goal advantage. Their European campaign remains alive, but the result showed how quickly a promising position can disappear against Madrid’s attacking quality.

Venezia appointed Davide Nicola as head coach on Wednesday after dismissing Giovanni Stroppa following six consecutive defeats. Venezia sat bottom of Serie A without a point, having conceded 16 goals and scored five in their opening six matches. Nicola has built a reputation for securing survival, having previously helped Crotone, Salernitana and Empoli avoid relegation. His appointment represents an immediate attempt to change the direction of a season that has begun with Venezia already facing a significant gap to safety.

Nicola signed a two-year contract and described the club as having a long-term vision and a strong desire to build something meaningful. He also said he had seen positive chemistry among the players despite the poor opening results. The new coach faces a demanding introduction, with Napoli, Inter Milan and Como scheduled among Venezia’s next four matches. That sequence offers little time for adjustment, but it also gives Nicola an early test of whether his reputation as an escape specialist can be repeated in Venice.

Ruben Amorim said on Wednesday that it was impossible to expect much time at Milan as pressure increased around his early tenure. Milan had remained unbeaten through their first six Serie A matches, but three of their last four league games had ended in draws, while the European campaign began with a 2-0 home defeat to Benfica. Amorim was speaking before Milan’s Europa League trip to Salzburg, where the club needed a response after a start that had fallen short of expectations.

The former Manchester United manager said he did not read newspapers or watch television so he could concentrate on his work. He acknowledged that Milan wanted more victories and points, while accepting that modern football gave managers limited time to establish a project. The Salzburg fixture therefore carried significance beyond the Europa League table: another poor result would intensify scrutiny, while a victory could restore momentum to a side whose Serie A record remained unbeaten but increasingly lacked convincing consistency.

Nicolò Tresoldi scored a hat-trick for Club Brugge in their 4-3 Champions League victory over Inter at San Siro on Tuesday. The 22-year-old, born in Italy and now attracting interest from the Italian national team, became the centre of attention after producing three goals in a dramatic win against the Serie A club. His performance also revived the story of his early trials in Italy, with former youth coach Marco Bedini saying Tresoldi had been rejected by Atalanta, Milan, Fiorentina, Bologna and Juventus at the age of 12.

Bedini said the clubs believed they already had players of a similar level, while Tresoldi continued developing after moving to Germany and joining Hannover’s academy. He later established himself at Club Brugge, where his goalscoring form has now brought wider European attention. Inter’s defeat was another damaging result for Italian clubs in the Champions League, but Tresoldi’s emergence added a more pointed lesson: domestic academies and recruitment departments can overlook players who later thrive at the highest level.