Como Writes History in Leipzig's Ink: The Night the Dream Stopped Being Distant

UEFA Champions League 2026-27 | Matchday 1 | Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Como

Como 4 – 1 Leipzig

By: Dr. Talal Othman, General Manager — GCC Sport

What unfolded on the shores of Lake Como was no ordinary scoreline to be filed away as a passing fixture. It was the christening of a story that, until recently, belonged more to fantasy than to sporting reality. A club that just a few years ago was scrapping in the lower tiers of Italian football, facing the spectre of bankruptcy more often than it faced opponents, stood tonight in its first-ever Champions League appearance — and delivered one of the most dazzling opening-night performances the competition has seen this season, brushing aside RB Leipzig 4-1 in a scoreline that flatters the Germans far more than the balance of play ever did. This was Como's night, from first whistle to last.

When the Dream Becomes a Game Plan

The credit for this transformation cannot be reduced to a single sentence, but one name towers above the rest: Cesc Fabregas. The Spanish coach, who carried the mind of a player who won everything there was to win, turned that mentality into a bold coaching philosophy — rebuilding Como from a club fighting for survival into a side that imposes its identity on the pitch. Fabregas, making his own European managerial debut in this very match, did not merely arrive on the continental stage tonight — he delivered a tactical masterclass in how to conquer it.

From the first minute, it was clear Como had not come to learn, but to teach. High pressing, rapid transitions from defence to attack, and a confidence that belied a side making its maiden continental voyage. That boldness was translated into an early goal in the 15th minute through Martin Baturina, who calmly finished a loose ball inside the box with the composure of a player unmoved by the occasion. The message had landed: this was not a night for courtesies.

Nico Paz: The Mind Conducting the Tempo

If Baturina opened the scoring, it was Nico Paz who conducted the entire rhythm of the match. The Argentine playmaker, who in a short span has become one of the most exciting names in Serie A, supplied two decisive assists that shaped the course of the game. The first sent Assane Diao clear in the 54th minute after a burst in behind Leipzig's back line, finished with a powerful strike that gave the goalkeeper no chance. The second, in the dying seconds, effectively settled the match when he set up Maximo Perrone to cap a swift counter-attack and make it 4-1 in the 90th minute.

Between those two moments, Tasos Douvikas had doubled the home side's lead in the 38th minute, latching onto a defence-splitting through-ball from Baturina himself and slotting into the far corner with the assurance of a striker who knows his way to goal.

Leipzig: A European Return That Began with a Slap

On the other side, it was a harsh night for RB Leipzig, back in continental competition after a season away. The German side tried to assert themselves early, with Antonio Nusa forcing a save from goalkeeper Jean Butez and Andrija Maksimovic heading narrowly wide. But these were fleeting flashes in a night that carried an unmistakably Italian stamp throughout.

Maksimovic's consolation goal in the 58th minute — a beautifully curled effort from the edge of the box, assisted by Christopher Nkunku — offered Leipzig some measure of pride, but it changed nothing about the fundamentals of a match Como controlled from start to finish. The side once managed by Julian Nagelsmann now faces an early test of regrouping, with a coming fixture against PSV Eindhoven in October carrying the unmistakable weight of "no room for another slip."

The Como Born from the Ashes of Serie D

The numbers alone do not tell the full story. This is a club that finished fourth in Serie A last season to punch its ticket to Europe — the very same club that, only a few years earlier, was floundering in Italy's fourth tier (Serie D), weighed down by financial troubles that nearly ended its existence altogether. The transformation Como has undergone, backed by ambitious investment and a far-sighted institutional vision, has made it a case study in how to rebuild a club's identity from the ground up.

Tonight's victory, then, is not merely three points at the start of a European campaign — it is a resounding declaration that Como did not come to the Champions League to make up the numbers, but to have its say. And if this was only matchday one, the message sent out by Fabregas's side on the shores of that enchanting Italian lake carries a clear warning to the rest of the field: the story has only just begun.

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