Baturina Runs the Maradona: Como's Playmaker Scores One, Makes the Other

Como walked into the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and won, and the thread running through their upset was Martin Baturina. He opened the scoring on 17 minutes and then, after Napoli had levelled, supplied the assist for the goal that won it on 34. Score one, create the other: it is the most direct way a single footballer can decide an away day at a venue like this, and Baturina did it inside the first thirty-five minutes.

The opener came with Assane Diao the provider, Baturina finishing to quiet the home crowd. Rasmus Hojlund restored parity on 30 from an Amir Rrahmani assist, and for a moment the game threatened to follow the expected script of Napoli power against plucky visitors. Baturina rewrote it four minutes later, threading the pass for Tasos Douvikas to make it 2-1. From then on Como defended a lead their playmaker had personally built, and held it.

This was no smash-and-grab. Como had 65% of the ball at Napoli's home and out-shot the hosts 14 to 5 — a genuinely dominant away performance rather than a fortunate one. Napoli's response spoke to their ambition, sending on Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay to chase the game, but the introductions could not unlock a Como side comfortable in possession and clear in their plan. When the more expensively assembled team needs its bench to rescue a home game and still cannot, the scoreline is telling the truth.

Individual brilliance decides tight games, and Baturina's afternoon was the difference between a share of the spoils and all of it. His numbers — a goal and an assist, both inside 34 minutes — understate an influence that ran through everything Como did going forward. For Napoli, a home defeat with the majority of possession conceded is a jolt worth heeding early in the season. For Como, they leave with three points and a performance built around a player who looked, on this evidence, entirely at home on the biggest stage.