ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Como marked their Champions League debut with a one-sided 4-1 home win over RB Leipzig.
- Martin Baturina scored Como's first-ever Champions League goal in the 15th minute.
- Douvikas and Diao made it 3-0 before the hour; Perrone added a fourth late.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Como did not gatecrash the Champions League. They played like a side that expects to be in it, and that is the part Leipzig should sit with. Three goals before the hour, a fourth from Perrone late, and Fabregas's high press doing exactly what it did last season when it finished above Juventus and Milan.
Baturina's 15th-minute opener was the whole idea in miniature: he released Douvikas down the right, took the deflected cross back, rode a slip and two defenders, and rolled it into the bottom-left corner. Douvikas and Diao extended it. Rehearsed patterns, not debut nerves.
The Sinigaglia itself caps this. Modifications for the competition cut capacity to around 10,000, and the club handed directors' seats to supporters born in 1950 or earlier — a fine gesture, and a reminder that Como's ceiling in this tournament is architectural, not tactical.
Away from the lake, without that crowd pressing with them, Fabregas finds out whether Nico Paz is a luxury or the reference point.
WHY IT MATTERS
Como had never played a European fixture in 119 years. Reaching the Champions League via fourth place ahead of Juventus and AC Milan, then routing Leipzig, reframes Fabregas from celebrated midfielder to credible top-level coach.
TACTICAL FIT
Fabregas' high-pressing system, the one that carried Como to fourth in Serie A, overwhelmed Leipzig early. Douvikas' work down the right and Nico Paz's creativity on loan give that press a genuine scoring outlet.
THE DEBATE
Does one rout prove Fabregas is a top coach, or is it beginner's luck?
Multiple Authors
Sep 10, 2026, 05:07 PM ET
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COMO, Italy -- Como marked its Champions League debut with a one-sided 4-1 home win over RB Leipzig on Thursday.
Martin Baturina, Anastasios Douvikas and Assane Diao staked Cesc Fabregas' side to a 3-0 lead before the hour mark in the Italian club's first-ever appearance in any European competition after qualifying in the top-four in Serie A last season.
Máximo Perrone added Como's fourth just before full-time to complete the rout as the team celebrated a historic win.
Capacity was reduced to around 10,000 because the delightful Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium on the shores of Lake Como underwent modifications for the Champions League.
The 119-year-old club reached the competition under coach Fabregas, a standout goal-scoring midfielder during a stellar club career with Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona. He played for the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup.
Fabregas guided Como to fourth place last season ahead of Juventus and AC Milan to claim Serie A's final Champions League spot with a high-pressing brand of soccer.
Goals have been coming from 22-year-old playmaker Nico Paz, who has stayed on loan from Real Madrid and Greek center forward Douvikas, who was involved in the opening goal.
Cesc Fabregas celebrates with his players after Como beat RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Thursday.Getty Images
He released Douvikas down the right and then latched onto his deflected cross toward the penalty spot, recovering from a slip before pushing the ball past two defenders and guiding it into the bottom left corner.
As gesture of respect, Como invited many of its older fans to the game against Leipzig on Thursday.
President Mirwan Suwarso and some directors made the decision of giving away their own seats, allowing supporters born in 1950 or earlier to attend the sold-out game.
"We will be honored to give up our seat for them," Suwarso had posted on Instagram.
They looked on with pride as midfielder Baturina scored Como's first-ever Champions League goal in the 15th minute.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
AI-assisted · generated from ESPN FC reporting, not editor reviewed
