Como Make Champions League Statement With 4-1 Win Over Leipzig

Como announced themselves on the biggest stage in European club football with a stunning 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in their first-ever Champions League match.

The Italian side wasted little time making history, with Martin Baturina opening the scoring after just 15 minutes. Tasos Douvikas doubled Como’s advantage before half-time, putting the Champions League debutants firmly in control.

Assane Diao then made it 3-0 shortly after the restart, before Leipzig’s Andrija Maksimović pulled one back in the 58th minute.

But Como refused to let their historic night slip away. Máximo Perrone added a fourth goal in the 90th minute to seal a remarkable 4-1 victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.

The result is particularly significant because this was Como’s first-ever appearance in European competition, following their fourth-place finish in Serie A last season. UEFA had identified them as one of the four debutants in this season’s Champions League league phase.

Their opponents, meanwhile, were hardly Champions League newcomers. Leipzig were playing in the competition for the eighth time, having first reached the tournament in the 2017/18 season.

That made Como’s performance even more impressive.

The club’s rise has also been remarkable. UEFA noted that Como were playing in Italy’s fourth tier as recently as the 2018/19 season. Just seven years later, they have arrived in Europe’s elite competition and immediately delivered a 4-1 statement victory.

For Cesc Fàbregas and his players, this was more than just three points.

It was Como’s introduction to Europe — and they introduced themselves loudly.