Wednesday's historic 9-1 demolition of French outfit Lens on matchday four of the league phase catapulted the Lombardy side straight into the record books on their maiden European voyage.

Their attacking masterclass equalled the competition's biggest margin of victory, previously shared by Liverpool and Real Madrid following their respective 8-0 routs of Besiktas in 2007 and Malmo in 2015. Crucially, no visiting team had ever struck nine goals in the tournament's history.

The scale of the triumph resonates profoundly across Italian football: it marks the first time an Italian side have scored more than seven goals in the competition since the modern era began in 1992, the year the tournament was rebranded as the "UEFA Champions League".

Until now, Juventus were the solitary Italian outfit to register seven, having brushed Olympiacos aside 7-0 back in 2003.

Fabregas, who has moulded the Lombardy club into one of the most enthralling projects in world football, is no longer merely trading blows with continental heavyweights—he is dismantling milestones long presumed to be the exclusive domain of European aristocracy.

They have achieved this through a captivating, cohesive brand of football, built on a tight-knit squad displaying supreme balance from front to back. The likes of Nico Paz, Anastasios Douvikas, Martin Baturina, Lucas Da Cunha, Jacobo Ramon and Luis Milla have been central to driving this sensational run of form.

A meteoric rise to Europe's elite

Just seven years ago, Como were languishing in Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football. Indonesia's Hartono brothers took the reins, bankrolling an ambitious long-term blueprint that delivered promotion to Serie B within two seasons.

By 2022, settled in the second tier, the club significantly raised their global profile by signing Cesc Fabregas as a player before placing him at the epicentre of their vision, complemented by elite figures such as minority shareholder Thierry Henry and board member Raphael Varane.

The mission back then was clear: reach Serie A. That dream became reality in 2024, ending a painful 21-year exile from the Italian top flight.

With Fabregas installed in the dugout, the side evolved seamlessly from top-flight upstarts into an established force capable of mounting a European challenge. The club bolstered the ranks with elite young talents such as Nico Paz and Maximo Perrone, astutely balanced by the seasoned know-how of 'Tasos' Douvikas and Luis Milla, who both arrived over the past year.

The 2025 and 2026 campaigns proved fairytale years for the northern outfit. Delivering an expansive brand of football, they consolidated their place in the upper reaches of the table and, in May 2026, secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history, going toe-to-toe with the continent's best and capturing the nation's imagination.

Como currently sit fourth in the 36-team continental table behind PSG, Real Madrid and Arsenal, boasting three victories and a solitary defeat.

Tougher examinations certainly lie in wait than the meek resistance offered by a Lens side who looked entirely out of their depth at this level.

In their remaining league-phase encounters, Fabregas' men travel to Real Betis and Barcelona, while preparing to welcome PSG and AEK Athens to northern Italy.