Como put nine past Lens as Saud Abdulhamid features in historic Champions League rout

Como produced a record-breaking attacking display to beat Lens 9-1 in France, inflicting the heaviest European defeat in the home side’s history in the process.

Cesc Fabregas’ side dominated from the outset at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, scoring three times before half-time and continuing to punish Lens after the interval.

Saudi Arabia international Saud Abdulhamid came on for Lens at the start of the second half, having begun the match on the substitutes’ bench.

The hosts had no answer to Como’s movement and finishing as the Italian side turned the fourth league-phase round of the UEFA Champions League into a one-sided contest.

According to French network RMC, Lens became the first French team to concede three goals at home in the first half of a Champions League match since Monaco suffered the same fate against Borussia Dortmund in 2018.

Lens briefly offered a response when Ruben Aguilar scored in the 65th minute, but it did little to change the course of the game. Martin Baturina restored Como’s eight-goal advantage just four minutes later, before the visitors completed a 9-1 victory.

Como set new Champions League record

The result placed Lens among the competition’s heaviest losers, alongside Liverpool’s 8-0 victory over Besiktas in 2007, Real Madrid’s 8-0 win against Malmo in 2015, Bayern Munich’s 9-2 triumph over Dinamo Zagreb in 2024 and Paris Saint-Germain’s 7-0 victory against Brest in 2025.

Opta statistics showed that Como became the first team to score nine goals in an away Champions League match. Lens, meanwhile, became the first side to concede nine at home in the competition.

Lens are only the second French club to concede nine goals in a European competition match. Strasbourg previously lost 10-2 to MTK Budapest in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in October 1961.

The defeat was also only the second time Lens had conceded nine goals in any competition. Their previous such result came in a 9-1 defeat by Marseille in April 1940.

Lens remain on three points after four rounds and have dropped to 33rd in the league-phase table, increasing the gap to the top 24 places that lead to the knockout play-off round. Como moved up to fourth with nine points.

The result will increase the pressure on Lens manager Yannick Cahuzac, who replaced Dino Toppmoller after the German was dismissed following only six matches in charge. Cahuzac has recorded three wins and five defeats in his eight games as manager.

Nico Paz pays tribute to Jesus de Miguel

Como’s victory also included an emotional moment from Nico Paz, who celebrated his 40th-minute goal by revealing a shirt bearing the image of Jesus de Miguel, the late Tenerife player.

Paz finished a counter-attack with a left-footed strike before holding up the shirt in tribute to de Miguel, who recently died after colliding with the Andorra goalkeeper during a match between the teams.

The gesture had particular significance for Paz, who was born on the Spanish island of Tenerife while his father, Argentine defender Pablo Paz, was playing for the local club. His celebration honoured both the city of his birth and the player who had recently died.