Como put nine goals past Lens to match Champions League record

Como produced a stunning away performance to put nine goals past a hapless Lens side and match the record for most scored by a team in a Champions League game. The Italian side equalled Bayern Munich’s tally against Dinamo Zagreb in 2024 as Cesc Fabregas’ team continued a remarkable debut European campaign in France. After beating RB Leipzig and Manchester United, and falling to a narrow Feyenoord defeat, Como’s most staggering result yet lifted them to fourth in the league phase table.

“What they are doing is so impressive, considering this is their first time in Europe,” former Manchester City Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport. “In fact, I remember when they first got promoted and there was so much social media coverage of Fabregas really loving it, and they are fighting for their lives in terms of a relegation dogfight. “Two seasons later and probably, along with PSG and Barcelona, they are the three most exciting teams in the Champions League.” While the Italians have a share of the record for most goals in the Champions League era, Feyenoord hold the European Cup mark, having beaten Icelandic side KR 12-2 in September 1969.

Como did, though, enjoy the biggest away win in Champions League history. They are also only the third side since the competition’s inception to win by an eight-goal margin, matching Liverpool and Real Madrid, who claimed 8-0 home victories over Besiktas and Malmo, respectively. Como are also the first team to score nine goals in an away European Cup match since Feyenoord won 9-0 at Olympiakos Nicosia in September 1971.

No side has ever scored more than their 19 in their first four games in European competition – only Queen’s Park Rangers, in the 1976-77 Uefa Cup, can match that impressive haul. Como’s rise has been remarkable, with the club playing in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football, as recently as 2018-19. A takeover from London-based media company Sent Entertainment, owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono dramatically changed the direction of the club.

When they concluded a deal in 2019, the Hartono brothers were planning a TV project, with the idea of screening matches involving young Indonesian players back home. “Somehow the team got promoted, we had to go professional, and the plan had to be scrapped,” chief executive Mirwan Suwarso told Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored Podcast in October. Even after the plan changed, this level of progression – and so quickly – has still come as a surprise.

“Yes, they have got rich owners but that alone doesn’t buy you guaranteed success,” ex-Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport. “You have got to buy the right players to fit the right system and Fabregas has gone for young players as well, who are hungry but also can keep progressing and keep improving, like he is as a manager. “So the team’s development is almost mirroring his development, in the way that they are going to progress together.

It’s a brilliant story.” How a record-equalling night unfolded The rout started in the seventh minute when Greece forward Tasos Douvikas struck the first of two goals from close range to put Como in control. Tenerife-born Nico Paz smashed in the third goal five minutes before half-time and displayed a T-shirt paying tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died after a suffering a serious injury during an on-pitch collision.

With Lens already well beaten, Como were ruthless and captain Lucas da Cunha made it four less than two minutes into the second half. Marc-Oliver Kempf headed in the fifth on 53 minutes, before Argentine Paz played in Douvikas to calmly slot home to complete his hat-trick. Substitute Mattia Liberali then ran clear to stab in the seventh after 62 minutes, and with so long left, matching or even surpassing Bayern’s record seemed extremely plausible.

Lens, though, managed to pull one back through Ruben Aguilar’s sweetly-struck volley from a corner. But Como kept going and Martin Baturina burst through an increasingly disinterested home defence to make it 8-1 with more than 20 minutes remaining. With time running out, they scored the ninth goal in stoppage time when 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli was brought on and finished calmly.

The goal was initially ruled out for offside but a video assistant referee (VAR) check showed he had timed his run to perfection to spark yet more celebrations on a scarcely believable and historic night for his side.