Como produced one of the most remarkable results in the history of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, demolishing French side Lens 9-1 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Greek striker Anastasios Douvikas scored a hat-trick as seven different players found the net for the Italian club, who have climbed to fourth place in the league-phase table after Matchday 4.
According to ESPN, no team has ever scored more goals in an away match in the competition. The eight-goal margin also equals the biggest winning margin of the modern Champions League era, a mark previously held by Liverpool’s 8-0 win over Besiktas in 2007 and Real Madrid’s 8-0 victory over Malmö in 2015.
How the Goals Went In
Como took control early. Douvikas opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added a second just after the half-hour mark. Argentine playmaker Nico Paz made it 3-0 five minutes before the break, leaving Lens with a mountain to climb.
There was no fightback after half-time. Lucas Da Cunha struck two minutes into the second half, defender Marc-Oliver Kempf headed in from a corner on 53 minutes, and Douvikas completed his hat-trick on 57 minutes to make it 6-0.
Substitute Mattia Liberali, only four minutes after coming on, scored the seventh. Ruben Aguilar pulled one back for Lens in the 65th minute, but Martin Baturina, another substitute, restored the seven-goal cushion four minutes later. The final word went to 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli, who scored in stoppage time on his European debut.
Numbers Behind the Rout
Match statistics show how one-sided the contest was. Como had 57 per cent of possession and 12 shots on target, compared with just three for Lens. Their expected goals figure of 4.27 was far below the nine they actually scored, a sign of how clinical the visitors were on the night.
Douvikas’s treble takes him to six Champions League goals this season, making him one of the competition’s most in-form forwards. ESPN’s match coverage described the night as a record-setting one for Cesc Fàbregas’s side, who have quickly become one of the surprise packages of this season’s league phase.
What It Means in the Table
The win lifts Como to nine points from four matches, level with several clubs including Barcelona, Manchester City and Liverpool, and their goal difference of +13 is second only to leaders Paris Saint-Germain. PSG and Real Madrid sit top on 12 points, with Arsenal third on 10.
For Lens, the defeat is a heavy blow. The French club remain on three points and have dropped to 33rd in the 36-team table with a goal difference of -12, leaving them in serious danger of missing out on the knockout play-off places.
The size of the defeat could also matter later on. With so many clubs bunched together on points in the 36-team format, goal difference often decides final positions, and an eight-goal home loss is the kind of result that can haunt a team when the standings are settled in January.
Elsewhere on Wednesday Night
It was a dramatic evening across Europe. Real Madrid came from behind to win 3-2 at AEK Athens, with Federico Valverde scoring in stoppage time after goals from Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé. Liverpool lost 3-2 at Fenerbahçe, Vedat Muriqi heading the winner late on, while Arsenal won 2-1 at Slavia Prague and Erling Haaland scored the winner as Manchester City beat RB Leipzig 3-2. Porto thrashed Napoli 4-1 and Borussia Dortmund edged Real Betis 2-1.
None of Nigeria’s Champions League regulars were involved in Wednesday’s key results. On Tuesday, Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen played the full 90 minutes as Galatasaray beat VfB Stuttgart 2-0 in Istanbul.
What Happens Next
The league phase continues with Matchday 5 later this month. Como will look to carry their momentum into domestic action in Serie A before returning to Europe, while Lens must quickly regroup if they are to keep their hopes alive. The top eight teams after the final round in January qualify directly for the last 16, while those placed ninth to 24th go into the knockout play-offs.
Sources: ESPN, The Sports Encounter.
