Anastasios Douvikas's Hat-Trick and Como 1907's 4-2-3-1 Half-Space Overloads Obliterate RC Lens 9-1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis

Visiting Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Matchday 4 of 8 in the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League league phase, Como 1907 deployed a fluid 4-2-3-1 system engineered to stretch RC Lens's back three horizontally and attack the interior channels with vertical runners. With Jean Butez starting in goal behind a defensive quartet of Yan Couto, Jacobo Ramón, Marc-Oliver Kempf, and Álex Valle, the Italian side dictated the build-up rhythm with surgical precision. Across the full 90 minutes, Como commanded 53% possession and registered an elite 91% passing accuracy by completing 579 of their 630 total passes. Center-back Jacobo Ramón anchored the progression with a match-high 83 accurate passes, 2 tackles won, 0 fouls committed, and 1 assist across 90 minutes, flanked by Yan Couto (59 accurate passes), Marc-Oliver Kempf (54 accurate passes in 72 minutes), and Álex Valle (40 accurate passes and 1 assist).

RC Lens lined up in a 3-5-2 structure featuring Robin Risser in goal behind a three-man central defense of Kyllian Antonio (53 accurate passes, 1 tackle won), Samson Baidoo (51 accurate passes, 1 tackle won), and Matthieu Udol (35 accurate passes), with Ruben Aguilar (a team-high 64 accurate passes and 2 tackles won) providing width alongside midfielders Michaël Cuisance, Amadou Haidara, Franjo Ivanović, and Thorgan Hazard behind forwards Florian Thauvin and Michał Skóraś. Although Lens maintained a respectable 47% share of possession and completed 395 of 446 passes (an 88% accuracy rate), their defensive line was repeatedly exposed by Como's double pivot of Luis Milla (1 assist in 58 minutes) and Máximo Perrone (1 assist in 90 minutes).

The visitors struck immediately in the 7th minute (6th minute of play) when Anastasios Douvikas converted a VAR-confirmed finish to establish a 0-1 lead. Following a 17th-minute VAR review for the hosts, Douvikas doubled the advantage in the 32nd minute (31st minute of play) with his second VAR-confirmed strike of the night (0-2). Two minutes later, in the 34th minute (33rd minute of play), Lens defender Samson Baidoo received a yellow card as the hosts struggled to contain Nico Paz and Maxence Caqueret between the lines. In the 40th minute (39th minute of play), Nico Paz capped a dominant opening period by firing home a VAR-confirmed goal to send Como into halftime with a commanding 0-3 cushion.

Second-Half Blitz and Anastasios Douvikas's Clinical Hat-Trick

Attempting to salvage their defensive shape at the interval, RC Lens executed a double halftime substitution in the 45th minute, introducing Saud Abdulhamid (15 accurate passes in 45 minutes) and Mezian Soares Mesloub for Michał Skóraś and Franjo Ivanović. However, Como obliterated any hopes of a comeback with three goals inside the opening twelve minutes of the second half.

Just after the restart, in the 47th minute (46th minute of play), winger Lucas Da Cunha—who registered 2 shots in 58 minutes—slotted a VAR-confirmed strike to make it 0-4. Six minutes later, in the 53rd minute (52nd minute of play), center-back Marc-Oliver Kempf capitalized on Como's set-piece and second-phase pressure to score a VAR-confirmed goal for a 0-5 lead. In the 57th minute (56th minute of play), Anastasios Douvikas completed his hat-trick with another VAR-confirmed finish, pushing the scoreline to an astonishing 0-6. Across 61 minutes on the pitch, Douvikas delivered a flawless focal-point display, scoring 3 goals from his 3 total shots while also supplying 1 assist, complemented by Nico Paz's 1 goal and 2 assists from 2 shots over 58 minutes.

Bench Impact, Shot Conversion Disparity, and Final Metrics

Immediately following their sixth goal, Como rotated heavily in the 57th minute (logging 58 minutes for the departing trio), introducing Samuele Ricci, Mattia Liberali, and Martin Baturina for Luis Milla, Lucas Da Cunha, and Nico Paz, before Matteo Papaccioli replaced hat-trick hero Douvikas in the 60th minute. Rather than slowing the tempo, Como's substitutes ruthlessly attacked the spaces left by a demoralized Lens backline.

In the 62nd minute (61st minute of play), just moments after entering the match, 33-minute substitute Mattia Liberali scored a VAR-confirmed goal with his sole shot attempt (1 goal from 1 shot) to make it 0-7. Lens managed a brief consolation in the 65th minute (64th minute of play) when Florian Thauvin (1 shot, 1 assist in 70 minutes) set up Ruben Aguilar for a VAR-confirmed goal (1-7). Yet Como answered four minutes later in the 69th minute (68th minute of play), as Martin Baturina converted his only shot of the contest (1 goal from 1 shot across 33 minutes) for a VAR-confirmed strike to restore the seven-goal margin at 1-8.

Following further substitutions—Junior Kadile and Andrija Bulatović replacing Thauvin and Amadou Haidara for Lens in the 69th minute, and Ivan Smolčić (20 accurate passes in 19 minutes) replacing Kempf for Como in the 71st minute—Michaël Cuisance picked up Lens's second yellow card in the 75th minute (74th minute of play). In stoppage time, at the 90+2nd minute (90+1st minute of play), substitute Matteo Papaccioli (1 goal from 1 shot in 30 minutes) rounded out the scoring with a ninth VAR-confirmed goal, assisted by fellow substitute Mattia Liberali, who finished with 1 goal and 2 assists in just 33 minutes.

The final performance metrics underscored an unprecedented disparity in finishing efficiency. Como generated 15 total shots, placing 11 shots on goal (with 2 off target and 2 blocked scoring attempts) and scoring 9 times against goalkeeper Robin Risser, who made only 2 saves. Conversely, Lens generated 9 total shots (3 on goal, 4 off target, 2 blocked), with Jean Butez making 2 saves to neutralize efforts from Thorgan Hazard (2 shots), Thauvin (1 shot), Haidara (1 shot), and Ivanović (1 shot). While both sides earned 5 corners and recorded 2 blocks apiece, and Lens edged tackle volume by winning 11 of 13 tackles (84%) to Como's 6 of 8 (75%), Como led clearances 24 to 19, interceptions 7 to 4, and committed 11 fouls with 0 cards to seal a historic 9-1 triumph.