Como produced one of the shocks of the Coppa Italia season by eliminating Napoli in a dramatic 7-6 sudden-death penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, securing their first semi-final appearance in the competition for four decades.
Martin Baturina’s composed first-half penalty handed the visitors a surprise lead before Antonio Vergara struck within seconds of the restart to restore parity.
With neither side able to find a winner in regulation time, the tie was ultimately decided from the spot in nerve-shredding fashion, where Como held their composure to seal a famous victory.
Como began with confidence and were rewarded when Ivan Smolcic was brought down inside the area.
Baturina stepped up and rifled his penalty into the near corner, beating the goalkeeper with authority to silence the home crowd. Napoli struggled to create clear openings in the first half, with Como’s disciplined defensive shape limiting space in the final third.
The hosts needed less than a minute after the interval to respond. A flick from Rasmus Hojlund failed to find its intended target but fell kindly for Vergara, who kept his composure to finish one-on-one and level the contest.
Napoli gradually assumed control, applying sustained pressure and forcing Como deeper into their own half. However, despite a series of half-chances and dangerous deliveries into the box, clear-cut opportunities remained limited.
The tie grew increasingly fractious, with heated exchanges and a controversial moment that saw one player fortunate to avoid a second yellow card.
Both managers made tactical adjustments in search of a decisive breakthrough, yet the deadlock persisted through 90 minutes.
The penalty shootout ebbed and flowed. A key Napoli striker failed to convert, while Baturina confidently dispatched his effort for Como.
The contest moved into sudden death, where a goalkeeper’s penalty found the net via a ricochet to extend the drama.
Moments later, Como’s goalkeeper emerged as the hero, producing the decisive save to deny Stanislav Lobotka and clinch a 7-6 shootout triumph.
For Como, the result marks a historic milestone and injects renewed belief into their campaign.
A first Coppa Italia semi-final in 40 years represents a remarkable achievement and a testament to their resilience under pressure. They will now face Inter in the semi-finals with confidence surging.
Napoli, meanwhile, are left to reflect on a painful exit. The defeat raises fresh questions about their mentality in knockout fixtures and adds scrutiny to squad management decisions at a critical stage of the season.
From a betting perspective, while Napoli remain strong favourites in most 90-minute domestic markets, the result highlights potential value in backing underdogs such as Como in “team to qualify” cup markets when ties appear finely balanced.
Markets such as “match to go to penalties” or extra-time outcomes may also offer value in tightly contested knockout fixtures, particularly when recent evidence shows a side capable of holding its nerve from the spot.
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