Como defender Marc Kempf was at the heart of a 3-1 victory away against Fiorentina on Sunday, a result that keeps Cesc Fàbregas's side fifth in Serie A with 14 points from seven matches and within three points of Roma above them.
The significance of that win extends beyond the table. Como entered the week carrying the weight of Champions League commitments — German officials have been assigned for their upcoming European fixture — and a road victory against Fiorentina, who had been building momentum under their own coach, demonstrated that Fàbregas's squad can sustain a two-front campaign without losing domestic discipline. Kempf, at 31, is precisely the kind of experienced centre-back a young, ambitious side needs when the schedule compresses.
Tuttosport's match ratings singled out Kempf specifically, describing him as a "muro" — a wall — in a game where Liberali, Nico Paz, and Douvikas all scored for Como, with Pongracic's reply for Fiorentina the only blemish on a controlled defensive display. That framing matters: in a match where Como's attacking talent drew the headlines, the back line's solidity was what made the scoreline possible.
The numbers behind Kempf's season are modest in the traditional sense — no goals, no assists across four Serie A appearances — but his average rating of 6.74 reflects consistent, unremarkable competence, which for a central defender is often the highest compliment. An AI overall of 71 out of 100 suggests a player operating near his ceiling, a reliable presence rather than a developing one, and that reliability is exactly what a squad blending youth and ambition requires.
Como's defensive record — seven goals conceded in seven matches — is not exceptional, but it is functional for a side that has scored 12 and won four. Kempf's role within that structure is to absorb pressure so that Nico Paz and Liberali can express themselves going forward. Against Fiorentina, that arrangement worked cleanly.
Club president Mirwan Suwarso has said publicly that Fàbregas has exceeded all expectations at Como. The coach's ability to integrate a veteran like Kempf alongside younger, more dynamic profiles is part of what makes that assessment credible. A Champions League clash against a struggling Manchester United side follows in midweek. Kempf will be expected to hold the wall again.