Nico Paz needed just two minutes to turn Wednesday's Champions League trip for Manchester United into an early nightmare, bending a brilliant left-footed effort past Senne Lammens to put Como ahead at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on 21 October 2026.
Nico Paz scored his first ever Champions League goal on his second appearance in the competition, opening the scoring inside two minutes against Manchester United, in one of Wednesday evening's early kick-offs getting underway at 17.45 BST on the shores of beautiful Lake Como.
A wondergoal to settle early nerves
Paz received the ball from Lucas Da Cunha, coming in off the right flank, and was allowed two touches on the edge of the United penalty area before letting fly.
His effort found the far corner of the net with his first shot of the game, leaving the United goalkeeper with no chance whatsoever.
Who is Nico Paz?
From Real Madrid's academy to Lake Como
Paz plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Como, and although born in Spain, he represents the Argentina national team. He is a product of Serie A football's growing appeal to South American talent schooled in Spain.
Paz joined Real Madrid's La Fábrica academy set-up in 2016 before eventually making his way to Lombardy, where he has become central to Cesc Fábregas's project.
Argentina's rising number ten
Paz had faced recent criticism in Italy for a lack of goals this season, despite being up to three goals and four assists from 10 appearances at club level, not forgetting three goals for Argentina during the September and October international breaks. Wednesday's early strike offered a timely reminder of why he remains so highly rated.
Manchester United's crisis deepens
For Manchester United, falling behind so early only added to the pressure on a side already searching for answers.
United were seeking to end a six-game winless run under head coach Michael Carrick heading into the trip to Italy.
United had taken three draws and three defeats from their previous six matches across all competitions, with reports suggesting the club's hierarchy were not yet ready to replace Michael Carrick despite the mounting pressure.
A defence stretched to the limit
Leny Yoro was suspended following a red card against Atlético Madrid, while Lisandro Martínez was forced off at half-time in the 1-1 draw with Leeds United that preceded this trip.
Carrick had been dealt a further blow with several central defenders injured or suspended, leaving United with just Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt as fit senior centre-backs for the night.
A historic European run for Como
Como have been one of Italian football's most fascinating stories over the last two years, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history this season, with Fábregas overseeing a remarkable rise.
The Lombardy side won their opening Champions League game against RB Leipzig before falling to Dutch side Feyenoord in their second group match, and both Como and Manchester United had earned three points from their first two Champions League games, sharing the same goal difference of plus two heading into Wednesday's meeting.
What comes next
Manchester United's congested European schedule continues shortly after this trip to Italy, with a daunting away day at Atlético Madrid still to come in the competition.
Domestically, Carrick's side will be desperate to return to winning ways, having been held to a goalless stalemate in a recent draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
For Como, this remains a landmark season regardless of what happens on the scoreboard, with every point and every performance in the Champions League adding to the legend being built on the banks of Lake Como.