NAPLES, ITALY — Como stunned Napoli 7-6 on penalties after the sides played to a 1-1 draw in a pulsating Coppa Italia clash at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Antonio Vergara's second-half opener looked to have settled matters before Martin Baturina's spot-kick forced extra time, setting the stage for a nerve-shredding shootout that saw the visitors prevail when Stanislav Lobotka's effort was saved by Jean Butez.
The opening exchanges saw both sides probing cautiously, with Como's Nico Paz testing Vanja Milinkovic-Savic early on. The Serbian goalkeeper was called into action in the 10th minute, palming away Paz's header from Álex Valle's dangerous cross. The visitors continued to threaten, and Milinkovic-Savic produced another fine stop in the 57th minute, denying Jayden Addai's left-footed effort after Martin Baturina had threaded a perfectly weighted through ball into the Como forward's path.
Napoli emerged from the interval with renewed purpose, and their intensity paid immediate dividends. Just 46 seconds into the second half, Vergara rifled home a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box after receiving a clever layoff from Rasmus Højlund. The Argentine's effort flew into the bottom left corner, leaving Butez with no chance and sending the home supporters into raptures.
The lead, however, proved short-lived in controversial fashion. Seven minutes before the break, referee awarded Como a penalty, and Baturina stepped up to slot his right-footed effort into the bottom left corner, restoring parity and silencing the Neapolitan faithful. The Croatian midfielder's composure from 12 yards kept Como's hopes alive heading into the second period.
The statistics reflected the evenly-matched nature of the contest, with possession split almost down the middle at 48.3% for Napoli and 51.7% for Como. The visitors edged the shot count 9-8, though both sides managed just three and four efforts on target respectively. Milinkovic-Savic's three saves proved crucial in keeping Napoli level, while Butez was called upon just once in regulation time. The physical nature of the encounter was evident in the foul count, with Napoli committing 13 to Como's eight, though only three yellow cards were brandished across the 90 minutes.
Extra time produced few clear-cut chances as fatigue set in and both managers made tactical adjustments. Napoli introduced Romelu Lukaku and Miguel Gutiérrez in the 74th minute, seeking fresh legs to break the deadlock. Como responded by bringing on Lucas da Cunha and Jesús Rodríguez in the 67th minute, while Mërgim Vojvoda replaced Nico Paz in the 82nd minute. The Albanian's introduction nearly paid immediate dividends when his right-footed shot from the right side of the box forced another save from Milinkovic-Savic in the 83rd minute.
As the clock ticked toward penalties, both sides had opportunities to avoid the lottery of the shootout. Eljif Elmas saw his left-footed effort from the left side of the box sail wide in the 65th minute, while Ivan Smolcic blazed over from distance for Como three minutes later. The tension was palpable as the final whistle blew, sending the tie to spot-kicks.
The shootout began with Lucas da Cunha converting confidently for Como, tucking his left-footed effort into the top left corner. Matteo Politano responded for Napoli, slotting home to the bottom left corner. The drama intensified when Lukaku, introduced specifically for his penalty-taking prowess, saw his effort sail agonizingly wide. Tasos Douvikas made no mistake for Como, firing low to the bottom left corner to give the visitors the advantage.
Leonardo Spinazzola kept Napoli's hopes alive with a composed finish to the bottom left corner, before Martin Baturina stepped up again to convert his second penalty of the night. The shootout continued with both sides trading successful conversions - Alisson Santos, Eljif Elmas, and goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic himself all found the net for Napoli, while Ivan Smolcic, Diego Carlos, and Vojvoda responded for Como.
The decisive moment arrived when Máximo Perrone's left-footed effort was saved by Milinkovic-Savic, offering Napoli a lifeline. Gutiérrez converted to level at 6-6, but Marc Oliver Kempf held his nerve to slot home for Como. With the pressure squarely on his shoulders, Lobotka stepped up needing to score, but Butez guessed correctly, diving low to his left to palm away the midfielder's effort and spark wild celebrations among the Como contingent.
The result caps a remarkable cup run for Como, who showed tremendous character to recover from Vergara's early second-half strike. Their defensive organization frustrated Napoli throughout, with Marc Oliver Kempf and Ivan Smolcic forming a resolute partnership at the heart of the backline. The visitors' ability to share possession evenly against a Napoli side boasting superior league form speaks volumes about their tactical discipline and collective determination.
For Napoli, the defeat represents a bitter pill to swallow. Despite dominating large spells and creating the better chances in regulation, their inability to capitalize on territorial advantage proved costly. The introduction of Lukaku backfired spectacularly when his penalty miss shifted momentum decisively toward Como, and Lobotka's subsequent failure from the spot compounded the misery.
Napoli must quickly regroup as they travel to face AS Roma on February 15, where three points will be crucial to their league ambitions. Como, riding the wave of this memorable cup triumph, travel to face Fiorentina on the same date with confidence surging through their ranks.