Como edge struggling Venezia to return to Serie A top four

Como Football Club edged closer to a return to the Serie A's top four with a narrow 1-0 victory over Venezia at their home stadium in Como, Italy on Sunday. The hosts secured their fifth consecutive win across all competitions, dominating the match but needing a crucial penalty to break the deadlock. Como's captain, Lucas Da Cunha, converted the penalty in the 43rd minute for his first goal of the season, marking his debut for the club.

This victory comes as Como slipped to fifth in the league standings after AC Milan's 2-1 win over champions Inter on Saturday. The Italian side now sits two points behind Roma, who defeated Udinese 5-2, and two behind Inter, who lost their first game of the season to AC Milan in a Milan derby. Lazio leads the table, with a match against Cagliari later on Sunday.

For Da Cunha, the win is a significant step in the team's development. "This is the type of match we found hard to win last season," he told DAZN. "This was tough, but we won, and that reflects the progress we have made." The Spaniard also praised his team's mindset, saying, "Our state of mind is irreproachable."

Como's Champions League campaign resumes against Lens on Wednesday. Despite struggles in European competitions this season, Como leads the Serie A clubs in the Champions League standings with six points from three matches. The club, who were recently playing in Italy's third division as recently as 2021, recently made history by defeating Manchester United 4-1 in the last round of European matches.