Como produced a surprising away efficiency to place 9 targets previous a hapless Lens facet and match the document for many scored by a crew in a Champions League recreation.
The Italian facet equalled Bayern Munich’s tally towards Dinamo Zagreb in 2024 as a exceptional debut European marketing campaign for Cesc Fabregas’ crew continued in France.
Having thumped RB Leipzig and Manchester United both facet of a slim defeat by Feyenoord, Como’s most staggering consequence but lifted them as much as fourth within the league section desk.
“What they’re doing is so spectacular, contemplating that is their first time in Europe,” former Manchester Metropolis Nedum Onuoha advised BBC Sport.
“Actually, I bear in mind once they first bought promoted and there was a lot social media protection of Fabregas actually loving it, and they’re preventing for his or her lives when it comes to a relegation dogfight.
“Two seasons later and doubtless, together with PSG and Barcelona, they’re the three most fun groups within the Champions League.”
Whereas the Italians have a share of the document for many targets within the Champions League period, Feyenoord maintain the European Cup mark, having crushed Icelandic facet KR 12-2 in September 1969.
Como did, although, benefit from the greatest away win in Champions League historical past.
They’re additionally solely the third facet for the reason that competitors’s inception to win by an eight-goal margin, matching Liverpool and Actual Madrid, who claimed 8-0 residence victories over Besiktas and Malmo, respectively.
Como are additionally the primary crew to attain 9 targets in an away European Cup match since Feyenoord gained 9-0 at Olympiakos Nicosia in September 1971.
No facet has ever scored greater than their 19 of their first 4 video games in European competitors – solely Queen’s Park Rangers, within the 1976-77 Uefa Cup, can match that spectacular haul.
Como’s rise has been exceptional, with the membership taking part in in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian soccer, as not too long ago as 2018-19.
A takeover from London-based media firm Despatched Leisure, owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono dramatically modified the route of the membership.
Once they concluded a deal in 2019, the Hartono brothers had been planning a TV undertaking, with the concept of screening matches involving younger Indonesian gamers again residence.
“In some way the crew bought promoted, we needed to go skilled, and the plan needed to be scrapped,” chief government Mirwan Suwarso advised Piers Morgan’s Soccer Uncensored Podcast in October.
Even after the plan modified, this degree of development – and so rapidly – has nonetheless come as a shock.
“Sure, they have wealthy house owners however that alone would not purchase you assured success,” ex-Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock advised BBC Sport.
“You’ve got to purchase the precise gamers to suit the precise system and Fabregas has gone for younger gamers as effectively, who’re hungry but additionally can hold progressing and hold bettering, like he’s as a supervisor.
“So the crew’s improvement is nearly mirroring his improvement, in the way in which that they will progress collectively. It is a good story.”
