Italian facet Como produced a shocking efficiency in France, thrashing Lens 9-0 to equal the report for essentially the most targets scored by a workforce in a single Champions League match.
The end result matches Bayern Munich’s 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in 2024, marking one other outstanding milestone in Como’s spectacular debut European marketing campaign beneath supervisor Cesc Fabregas.
The victory additionally lifted Como to fourth place within the Champions League league-phase desk, following earlier wins over RB Leipzig and Manchester United, with a slender defeat to Feyenoord separating their spectacular run.
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha praised the membership’s progress, describing its achievements as extraordinary contemplating its restricted European expertise.
“What they are doing is so impressive, considering this is their first time in Europe,” Onuoha advised BBC Sport.
“In reality, I bear in mind once they first acquired promoted and there was a lot social media protection of Fabregas actually loving it, and they’re combating for his or her lives when it comes to a relegation dogfight.
“Two seasons later and probably, along with PSG and Barcelona, they are the three most exciting teams in the Champions League.”
Although Como have equalled the Champions League-era report for targets in a single match, Feyenoord stay the holders of the general European Cup scoring report after beating Icelandic facet KR 12-2 in September 1969.
However, Como’s 9-0 victory represents the largest away win in Champions League historical past.
The Italian membership are additionally solely the third workforce because the competitors started to safe victory by an eight-goal margin, becoming a member of Liverpool and Real Madrid, who recorded 8-0 residence wins in opposition to Besiktas and Malmo respectively.
Como are additionally the primary workforce to attain 9 targets away from residence in a European Cup match since Feyenoord defeated Olympiakos Nicosia 9-0 in September 1971.
Their attacking report has been equally outstanding. No workforce has scored greater than Como’s 19 targets in its first 4 matches in European competitors. Only Queen’s Park Rangers matched that achievement throughout the 1976-77 UEFA Cup marketing campaign.
The membership’s rise has been notably hanging provided that it was enjoying in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian soccer, as lately because the 2018-19 season.
Its transformation adopted a takeover by London-based media firm Sent Entertainment, owned by Indonesian billionaires Robert Budi Hartono and Michael Bambang Hartono.
When the deal was accomplished in 2019, the brothers initially deliberate a tv challenge that may showcase matches involving younger Indonesian footballers again residence.
However, the membership’s sudden promotion modified these plans.
“Somehow the team got promoted, we had to go professional, and the plan had to be scrapped,” chief government Mirwan Suwarso advised Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored Podcast in October.
Despite the monetary backing, Como’s speedy growth has shocked observers, with former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock noting that funding alone doesn’t assure success.
“Yes, they have got rich owners but that alone doesn’t buy you guaranteed success,” Warnock advised BBC Sport.
“You have gotten to purchase the precise gamers to suit the precise system and Fabregas has gone for younger gamers as effectively, who’re hungry but additionally can hold progressing and hold bettering, like he’s as a supervisor.
“So the team’s development is almost mirroring his development, in the way that they are going to progress together. It’s a brilliant story.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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