Lens 1-9 Como: Fàbregas's side write their name into Champions League history
Como thrashed Lens 9-1 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis to share the record for the biggest winning margin in Champions League history.
Como thrashed Lens 9-1 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis to share the record for the biggest winning margin in Champions League history.
In Cesc Fàbregas's side, Tasos Douvikas scored a hat-trick and added an assist, while Nico Paz and Mattia Liberali were directly involved in three goals each as they wrote their names into the history books.
In just the 7th minute, Douvikas finished off a ball that Máximo Perrone had knocked down in front of goal from Luis Milla's lofted pass to put Como 1-0 up. Lens were awarded a penalty for a handball by Maxence Caqueret, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review. The hosts' nightmare deepened just after the 30th minute, when Douvikas struck again to make it two.
In the closing moments of the first half, Nico Paz rifled a shot into the roof of the net at the end of a quick counter-attack started by Douvikas to make it 3-0. The young Argentine star then laid on a superb assist for Lucas Da Cunha right at the start of the second half to take the score to 4-0.
The scoreboard read 6-0 before the 60th minute. First Marc Oliver Kempf headed home Milla's cross, then Douvikas completed his hat-trick with a powerful finish at the near post. In the 62nd minute, substitute Liberali beat Robin Risser after latching onto a long ball from Jacobo Ramón to score the seventh. Lens found consolation through Ruben Aguilar's volley in the 65th minute, but Como did not let up. Martin Baturina found the corner from Liberali's pass, and in the 91st minute Liberali set up 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli, making his Como debut, as the match finished 9-1.
Como make history
Fàbregas, who said he regretted telling his players to slow the tempo in the Manchester United game, never took his foot off the pedal against Lens. Como recorded the biggest away win in Champions League history. The 8-goal margin also equalled the competition record; previously Liverpool had beaten Beşiktaş 8-0 in 2007, and Real Madrid had beaten Malmö by the same score in 2015.
Fàbregas's side became the second team to score nine goals in a Champions League match, after Bayern Munich beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in September 2024. The Serie A club also became the first Italian side to score nine goals in a European match since Roma beat Altay 10-1 in 1962.
With 19 goals in their first four matches on the European stage, Como matched QPR's record from 1976 and surpassed the Champions League record held by Juventus in the 1995-96 season (14 goals) by 5 goals. Douvikas, meanwhile, became the fourth player to score in each of his first four Champions League matches for an Italian club, after Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Samuel Eto'o.