Cesc Fàbregas' Como Make Champions League History with Nine-Goal Haul vs Lens Analyst

Como's 9-1 victory at Lens in the league phase of theChampions Leagueon Wednesday equalled and broke several European records. When Como put four goals past Manchester United in a thorough dismantling of the Premier League giants on Matchday 3 of the league phase of this season's UEFA Champions League, many would have expected that achievement to be difficult to top.

But the Serie A side simply uttered on Wednesday: 'Hold my limoncello'. Cesc Fàbregas' men followed that up with an away victory at last season's Ligue 1 runners-up Lens, but not just any victory.

Como defeated their French opponents 9-1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in an astonishing evening of attacking ruthlessness. Como had 18 shots, with 12 on target, and scored their nine goals from 4.18expected goals.

All nine goals were assisted; the most assists recorded by a team in a UEFA Champions League game, beating Bayern Munich's eight against Barcelona in August 2020. Como had 11 different players either score or assist in the game, a new Champions League record after overtaking the previous one set by Benfica (10) in their 6-1 win against Maccabi Haifa in November 2022.

Tasos Douvikas opened the scoring in the seventh minute with the first of his three goals, before the sensational Nico Paz also found the net. It was 3-0 at half-time, but four more goals in the first 17 minutes of the second half from Lucas da Cunha, Marc Oliver Kempf, Douvikas again, and Mattia Liberali well and truly put the game to bed.

Ruben Aguilar pulled back the absolute epitome of a consolation for Lens, only for Martin Baturina to almost immediately restore Como's seven-goal advantage. There were over 20 minutes remaining by that point, but the hosts restricted Como to just one more goal, which came in stoppage time via Matteo Papaccioli.

It was ajoint-record in the Champions League for the largest margin of victory, level with Liverpool beating Besiktas 8-0 in 2007 and Real Madrid thrashing Malmö by the same score in 2015. It did earn the outright record for the biggest away win in the competition's history, though, and Como became the first team to score nine goals in an away European Cup match since Feyenoord won 9-0 at Olympiakos Nicosia in September 1971.

Como were only the second club to score nine goals in a Champions League match, after Bayern vs Dinamo Zagreb in September 2024 (9-2), and they were the first Italian side to score nine in major European competition since Roma defeated Altay SK 10-1 in 1962. Poor old Lens, meanwhile, suffered the joint-heaviest defeat by a French club in major European competition, level with Strasbourg's 10-2 loss at MTK Budapest in 1961.

It was a clear record on home soil, though. No French team had ever lost a major European home match by more than five goals before.