Lens 1-9 Como: 10-goal thriller! Douvikas hat-trick, Paz 3 assists, 6 wins in a row for Como

Game is over and the final score is Lens 1-9 Como. Goal feast for Como! Douvikas bags his 1st hat-trick for Como and in his UCL campaign, while Nico Paz’s three sensational assists power Como’s attack.

Match Report:

Como made history with an astonishing 9-1 victory away to RC Lens in the Champions League, including a Tasos Douvikas hat-trick and 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli scoring on his debut.

The Lariani had won both European home games 4-1 against RB Leipzig and Manchester United, but lost their only away fixture at Feyenoord, so felt the pressure to deliver here. Despite missing Moise Kean, Trevoh Chalobah, Assane Diao, Jesus Rodriguez and Jayden Addai, they had won five competitive matches in a row.

Lens started with a 3-2 win away to Slavia Prague, then lost to Sporting CP and Club Brugge without finding the net. Ex-Udinese forward Florian Thauvin started, but Odsonne Edouard, Abdallah Sima and Ismaelo Ganiou were long-term absentees.

It took under eight minutes to break the deadlock, as a Como corner was taken short, the Luis Milla cross knocked down by Maxi Perrone and Douvikas at full stretch prodded it over from close range. Everyone was kept onside by striker Franjo Ivanovic, meaning Douvikas scored in all four Champions League appearances this season.

Lens had penalty appeals rejected, as Thorgen Hazard nodded the ball down onto the arm of Jacobo Ramon from point-blank range as they were jumping in a crowd.

There was a spot-kick awarded moments later by the referee when a cross struck Maxence Caqueret on the chest rather than the arm, but VAR corrected his error and changed his decision to a corner.

Nico Paz forced a tricky save from outside the area, then dribbled into the box only for Risser to flap it off his feet in the six-yard box.

Como doubled their lead with a true Cesc Fabregas team move that started from Jean Butez and involved several players, concluded when Nico Paz floated a ball to the far post, Alex Valle volleyed it back from the by-line for Douvikas to tap in his second of the night.

The third before half-time was another move started from defence, concluded by Nico Paz firing a ferocious left-foot strike into the roof of the net from a tricky angle on the Douvikas assist. The former Tenerife player refused to celebrate, instead holding up a message for Jesus de Miguel, who died this week following a tragic on-field accident.

Como added a fourth within 60 seconds of the restart, as Lucas Da Cunha got down the right, completed a give and go with Nico Paz, and bent the left-foot finish into the far bottom corner.

Da Cunha almost got a fifth after another quick passing move this time down the left, forcing a difficult save, but it was only a warning, as Luis Milla’s cross found Marc-Oliver Kempf for a glancing header and 5-0.

Como were thoroughly enjoying themselves and Douvikas completed his hat-trick, running onto the Nico Paz pass from midfield to draw out the goalkeeper and sweep home.

It was non-stop, as after a tricky save on Caqueret and goal-line clearance from Antonio on Maxi Perrone, Mattia Liberali got down the right for an angled drive and 7-0.

RC Lens got in on the act too, as Ruben Aguilar was left relatively unmarked on a corner for a well-taken volley into the far bottom corner.

Martin Baturina restored the seven-goal cushion with a solo slalom through defenders to score one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

It still wasn’t over, as in stoppages 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli sprung the offside trap on the Liberali assist to score, his celebration was postponed by the offside flag, but confirmed by a VAR check.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

8' GOAL! Lens 0-1 Como

14' Highlight from Lens vs Como

18' Match Event for Lens vs Como

24' Highlight from Lens vs Como

32' GOAL! Lens 0-2 Como (Anastasios Douvikas)

40' GOAL! Lens 0-3 Como (Nico Paz)

47' GOAL! Lens 0-4 Como (Lucas Da Cunha)

53' GOAL! Lens 0-5 Como (Marc Oliver Kempf)

57' GOAL! Lens 0-6 Como (Anastasios Douvikas)

62' GOAL! Lens 0-7 Como (Mattia Liberali)

65' GOAL! Lens 1-7 Como (Ruben Aguilar)

70' GOAL! Lens 1-8 Como

91' GOAL! Lens 1-9 Como (Matteo Papaccioli)

Line-ups

Lens XI: T Hazard, Thauvin, Aguilar, Udol, Haidara, Cuisance, Michal Skoras, Samson Baidoo, Franjo Ivanović, Robin Risser, Kyllian Antonio

Subs: Régis Gurtner, Mathieu Gorgelin, Jonathan Gradit, Florian Sotoca, Todibo, Saud Abdulhamid, Junior Kadile, Yacine Titraoui, Nidal Celik, Andrija Bulatovic, Souleymane Sagnan, Mezian Mesloub

Como XI: Kempf, Luis Milla, Jean Butez, Caqueret, Anastasios Douvikas, Lucas Da Cunha, Yan Couto, Máximo Perrone, Álex Valle, Nico Paz, Jacobo Ramón

Subs: Robert Sánchez, Alberto Dossena, Samuele Ricci, Ivan Smolcic, Martin Baturina, Kaiki, Mattia Liberali, Matteo Papaccioli, Federico Grilli, Lorenzo Ginelli