Como marked their first European night with a statement result, beating RB Leipzig 4-1 at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to begin the Champions League league phase with three points.
One of four debutants in this season’s competition, Como moved up to fifth after matchday one, while Leipzig’s eighth Champions League campaign began with a defeat that left them 32nd.
Martin Baturina shaped the first half by scoring once and creating another goal, and Nico Paz then supplied the passes for Como’s third and fourth as the home side turned a promising start into a deservedly emphatic margin of victory.
The scoreline was not built on overwhelming possession alone. Como had only a narrow 52 to 48 per cent share of possession, but their chance quality and finishing were sharper throughout, reflected in a 2.181 to 0.937 expected goals (xG) advantage and a 10 to 4 lead in shots on target.
Como take control before sealing a four-goal victory
Como set the tone quickly against a Leipzig side that had arrived having won only one of their previous 10 Champions League matches. Willi Orban was booked in the second minute, Christopher Nkunku followed him into the referee’s notebook in the 24th minute, and between those cautions, the home side had already taken the lead.
Baturina opened the scoring in the 15th minute, rewarding a bright start from a Como team that looked comfortable attacking the occasion rather than simply managing it. Leipzig did create moments before the break, with Antonio Nusa and Andrija Maksimović both forcing saves, but Como remained the more precise side in the decisive areas.
That showed again in the 38th minute when Baturina turned creator and supplied Anastasios Douvikas for the second goal. A 2-0 half-time lead gave Como firm control of the match and extended the defensive uncertainty that had already followed Leipzig into Italy after 18 UEFA matches without a clean sheet.
The game moved further away from the visitors nine minutes into the second half. Nico Paz picked out Assane Diao for Como’s third in the 54th minute, a goal that seemed to settle the contest before Leipzig found a brief response.
Maksimović reduced the deficit to 3-1 in the 58th minute from Nkunku’s assist, and Leipzig tried to force momentum back their way. They won five corners to Como’s one and made a triple substitution on the hour, but the pressure never developed into a sustained comeback.
Como’s own changes helped restore calm. Máximo Perrone was introduced in the 65th minute and, after the hosts had absorbed Leipzig’s best spell, he capped the night in the 90th minute with Como’s fourth goal to complete a 4-1 win.
Baturina and Nico Paz give Como the decisive edge
Baturina supplied the key first-half quality. Operating in Como’s line of three behind Douvikas, he gave the home side both incision and composure, first by taking the opening chance himself and then by creating the second goal that put Leipzig in a difficult position before the interval.
Nico Paz became the central figure after the restart. His pass for Diao made it 3-0, and his second assist released Perrone for the late fourth that removed any lingering doubt after Leipzig had pulled one back. Alongside Diao and Baturina, he was part of the attacking band behind Douvikas that drove Como’s most dangerous moves.
Como did not need to dominate every territorial phase to control the match where it mattered. Leipzig had almost as much possession and won more corners, yet the home side created the better openings and hit the target far more often. The 2.181 to 0.937 xG margin and 10 shots on target to four support what the score already suggested: Como were the cleaner, more decisive attacking team.
Perrone’s late goal also underlined the impact of the home bench. Leipzig’s triple change after the hour was an attempt to extend their brief revival, but Como’s substitutions helped them regain control of the rhythm before adding one more goal at the end.
What comes next for Como and RB Leipzig?
Como’s next Champions League fixture is another home game, against Feyenoord on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at 17:45 BST. After one match, they sit fifth in the league-phase table with three points and a goal difference of plus three.
Como will now try to build on the attacking quality behind Douvikas as they begin a league phase in which every result shifts the table quickly.
RB Leipzig return to Champions League action away to PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday 13 October 2026 at 20:00 BST. They are 32nd after the opening round, with no points and a goal difference of minus three.
The defeat leaves Leipzig with a familiar defensive problem to solve after Como’s four goals exposed those issues again; their brief response at 3-1 never became a genuine turnaround.
