Como stormed into the Champions League record books with a stunning 9-1 demolition of Lens on Wednesday, equalling the biggest winning margin in the competition’s history.
The Italian side matched the eight-goal winning margins achieved by Liverpool and Real Madrid in their respective 8-0 victories over Beşiktaş and Malmö.
Como also became the first team since 1971 to score nine goals away from home in the European Cup and only the second, after Bayern Munich, to score nine goals in a Champions League match.
Their third victory in four matches lifted them to fourth in the standings on nine points and continued a remarkable debut campaign in which they have scored 19 goals.
They led 3-0 at half-time, with Anastasios Douvikas scoring twice, before adding five more goals in a 22-minute spell after the break.
Douvikas completed his hat-trick during that scoring surge, while Ruben Aguilar pulled one back for Lens before Matteo Papaccioli rounded off the rout in stoppage time.
Como’s first Champions League campaign is already a resounding success, featuring impressive 4-1 victories over both RB Leipzig and Manchester United.
Their tally of 19 goals equals Queens Park Rangers’ 1976 record for the most goals scored by a club in its first four matches in major European competition.
Cesc Fabregas’ side will next face AEK Athens and Real Betis before ending the league phase with more daunting tests against Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
Lens, 33rd in the standings with three points, suffered the heaviest Champions League defeat by a French club.
They also became the first team from one of Europe’s top five leagues to concede nine goals at home in European competition.
—Reuters
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