US, Nov 05 : Italian club Como produced one of the most extraordinary performances in UEFA Champions League history, defeating French side Lens 9-1 away from home on Wednesday. The emphatic victory on November 4 saw Como equal the competition’s biggest-ever winning margin and further strengthen its position in its debut Champions League campaign.
Managed by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Como delivered an outstanding attacking display at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, scoring nine goals against a Lens side that struggled to contain the visitors throughout the encounter.
Greek forward Tasos Douvikas was the standout performer, scoring three goals to complete a memorable hat-trick. Nico Paz, Lucas Da Cunha, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Mattia Liberali, Martin Baturina and Matteo Papaccioli also contributed to the remarkable result.
Lens managed only one goal through Ruben Aguilar, but the home side was unable to prevent Como from producing a historic performance.
The result represents a major milestone for the Italian club, which has rapidly developed into a competitive force under Fabregas and is now making its presence felt on European football’s biggest club stage.
Como Dominate From the Opening Minutes
Como entered the match looking to maintain its impressive Champions League campaign, while Lens hoped to use home advantage to secure an important result.
However, the visitors quickly demonstrated their attacking intentions.
Douvikas opened the scoring in the seventh minute, giving Como an early advantage and putting the home defence under immediate pressure.
The Greek striker continued to trouble the opposition defenders with his movement and finishing ability. His second goal arrived in the 32nd minute, increasing Como’s lead and putting Lens in a difficult position.
Nico Paz then added another goal in the 40th minute, giving the Italian side a commanding advantage before the interval.
The first-half performance demonstrated Como’s ability to combine quick attacking transitions with effective finishing inside the penalty area.
Lens struggled to deal with the movement of the visiting forwards and repeatedly lost possession in dangerous areas.
Second-Half Goal Rush Produces Historic Scoreline
The second half became an even more difficult experience for the French club as Como continued its attacking approach.
Lucas Da Cunha scored in the 47th minute, extending the visitors’ advantage shortly after the restart.
Marc-Oliver Kempf added another goal in the 54th minute with a header, further increasing the pressure on the home defence.
Douvikas then completed his hat-trick in the 57th minute, taking his tally in the competition to six goals for the season and becoming one of its leading scorers.
Mattia Liberali made it seven for Como in the 62nd minute, underlining the team’s attacking depth and the effectiveness of Fabregas’ substitutions.
Lens finally found the net through Ruben Aguilar in the 67th minute, offering the home supporters a brief moment of relief.
However, the response from Como was immediate. Martin Baturina scored in the 69th minute before Matteo Papaccioli completed the remarkable 9-1 result in stoppage time.
The goal was particularly memorable for the young midfielder, who made his European debut during the match and marked the occasion by finding the net.
Douvikas Emerges as the Main Attraction
Although several Como players contributed to the victory, Douvikas attracted particular attention for his outstanding finishing.
The forward’s three goals demonstrated his ability to exploit defensive weaknesses and convert opportunities under pressure.
His performance also strengthened his position among the leading goalscorers in this season’s Champions League.
Douvikas received the Player of the Match award for his contribution.
Nico Paz also continued to demonstrate his importance to the team. The Argentine attacking midfielder has been one of Como’s most influential players, combining creativity with an ability to score important goals.
The contribution of Da Cunha and the other attacking players further highlighted the variety of options available to Fabregas.
Rather than depending on one individual, Como’s attacking system allowed multiple players to enter scoring positions and create problems for the opposition.
Fabregas’ Team Matches Champions League Record
The 9-1 victory placed Como alongside the biggest winning margins recorded in the history of the Champions League.
The achievement is especially remarkable because the club is making its first appearance in the competition.
Como’s rise has attracted considerable attention in European football, with the club transforming its position through investment, recruitment and a clear playing philosophy.
Fabregas has played a central role in this development. The former Spain international has brought an attacking approach that emphasises possession, movement and technical quality.
His side has shown that it can compete against established European clubs while maintaining its own style of play.
The victory against Lens also demonstrated the team’s ability to perform away from home, an important quality for any club hoping to progress deep into the competition.
Como’s result was not simply a consequence of individual brilliance. It reflected the effectiveness of the team’s collective movement, passing combinations and ability to exploit spaces in the opposition defence.
Lens Unable to Respond to Como’s Attacking Pressure
For Lens, the defeat represented a disappointing evening in front of its home supporters.
The French side struggled to maintain defensive organisation as Como repeatedly created openings through the centre and wide areas.
The early goals placed considerable pressure on the hosts, forcing them to chase the match and leave additional space for the visitors to exploit.
Even after Aguilar scored in the second half, Lens could not regain control of the contest.
The defensive difficulties were particularly evident during the final stages, when Como continued to create opportunities despite already holding a substantial advantage.
The result will raise questions about Lens’ defensive organisation and its ability to compete against technically strong opponents in the remaining European fixtures.
Real Madrid, Arsenal and Other Clubs Also Secure Important Wins
Como’s historic victory was among several major results during Wednesday’s Champions League action.
Real Madrid defeated AEK Athens 3-2 after a dramatic contest in Greece. The Spanish giants had to recover twice before Federico Valverde scored a stoppage-time winner to preserve their perfect record in the league phase.
Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also found the net for Madrid, while Aboubakary Koita and Stavros Pilios scored for the hosts.
The result kept Madrid in second position with 12 points, maintaining their strong position in the competition.
Arsenal also secured an important 2-1 away victory against Slavia Prague. Noni Madueke opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Viktor Gyokeres doubled the advantage.
Slavia produced a much stronger second-half performance and reduced the deficit through Wiktor Nowak in the closing stages. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya and the visiting defence were required to withstand considerable pressure before securing all three points.
Meanwhile, Liverpool suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
The English side twice took the lead but eventually lost after Vedat Muriqi scored the decisive goal in the 79th minute. The defeat ended Liverpool’s perfect start to the league phase.
Manchester City also registered a 3-2 victory against RB Leipzig, with Erling Haaland scoring a late goal.
Porto defeated Napoli 4-1, while Borussia Dortmund secured a 2-1 victory against Real Betis. Club Brugge also recorded a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.
Como Strengthen Their Position in the League Phase
The victory against Lens has strengthened Como’s position in the Champions League standings.
At the halfway stage of the league phase, Fabregas’ team moved into fourth position, placing itself among the leading clubs in the competition.
For a side making its debut at this level, the achievement represents a significant step forward.
The league-phase format requires teams to maintain consistency across multiple fixtures, making every victory important for qualification.
Como’s ability to collect points against different opponents will be crucial as the competition progresses.
The result against Lens also provides the team with considerable confidence ahead of its remaining European assignments.
A Major Statement From Italian Football
Como’s performance has become one of the defining results of this Champions League matchday.
The club’s remarkable development and impressive European debut have attracted attention beyond Italy, particularly because of the scale of its victory against an established French opponent.
Fabregas will be pleased with the attacking quality displayed by his players, although maintaining the same level of performance in future matches will remain a major challenge.
The team must now concentrate on sustaining its form and avoiding complacency as stronger opponents prepare for the next stage of the competition.
For Douvikas and his teammates, the 9-1 victory will remain a memorable achievement.
By matching the Champions League’s biggest winning margin, Como have announced themselves as serious contenders in the ongoing European campaign and demonstrated that their debut season can produce much more than a promising appearance.