Como made a dream start to life in European football, defeating RB Leipzig 4–1 in their Champions League league-phase opener at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Cesc Fàbregas’s side had waited 119 years for their first match in continental competition and marked the occasion with a commanding performance against the Bundesliga visitors.
Martin Baturina scored Como’s first-ever Champions League goal in the 15th minute, capitalising after a mistake in Leipzig’s defensive third. The Croatian midfielder then turned provider shortly before half-time, slipping Tasos Douvikas through on goal for a composed finish that sent the hosts into the interval with a 2–0 advantage.
Como continued to dictate the contest after the break. Assane Diao made it three in the 54th minute, finishing low from the right side of the area after Nico Paz released him with a precise pass. Leipzig briefly found a response four minutes later, when Andrija Maksimović struck from the edge of the area, but the visitors could not build sustained momentum from the goal.
Máximo Perrone completed the scoring in the 90th minute, arriving from the bench to restore Como’s three-goal advantage. Paz registered his second assist of the evening, underlining the quality of the hosts’ attacking play as they closed out an emphatic and historic victory.
The result reflected Como’s superiority in the decisive moments. They created the clearer chances and took control after Baturina’s early breakthrough, while Leipzig struggled to recover from errors that put them under pressure from the outset. Baturina’s influence was central, with the midfielder scoring once and assisting Douvikas’s goal in an outstanding individual display.
Leipzig head coach Martin Demichelis was left frustrated by his side’s defensive shortcomings, describing the first two goals as “gifts.” He acknowledged that Como were the better team and said his players needed greater organisation without the ball after a performance that exposed the lack of cohesion in a newly assembled side.
For Fàbregas and Como, the victory was the latest step in a remarkable rise. The club finished fourth in Serie A last season to qualify for the Champions League, and their first European outing could scarcely have gone better. With Baturina, Douvikas, Diao, Paz and Perrone all contributing, Como announced themselves on the continental stage in memorable fashion.
