Nico Paz’s key stats in Lens v Como

Those who were in attendance at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis aren’t likely to forget the massacre that occurred there in a hurry, be they fans of Lens or Como.

An average season so far for Lens

Those who played the game certainly won’t be allowed to forget it.

Lens aren’t having a bad season in 2026/27 by any means, with their current ninth place in Ligue 1 courtesy of four wins, a draw and four losses. 16 goals scored, and 13 conceded.

It’s not quite yet on a par with last season, after they finished second under Pierre Sage before he departed to Crystal Palace, and it’s clear that they afford their opponents chances under Yannick Cahuzac, but he and his squad will still have been left shell-shocked by what happened on Wednesday.

Opposite number, Cesc Fabregas, was one of the finest footballers of his generation, and he’s really carving out a name for himself in management.

Check out the match summary here.

Como have grabbed everyone’s attention

He’s taken Como to their first-ever Champions League campaign, whilst also keeping them competitive in Serie A.

At the time of writing, I Lariani are deservedly in fourth place in the Italian top flight, just two points behind second and five points off Lazio at the summit.

The way in which they dismantled Lens will now have everyone paying attention to the ‘little team from Lake Como.’

A 9-1 away victory is seismic, in every possible way. The joint biggest margin of victory in the competition, it’s also just the second time any team has hit nine goals in a game, with Bayern Munich’s 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb being the other.

Almost perfect Paz

There were lots of talking points in Wednesday’s match, and Fabregas will have been delighted that UCL debutant Matteo Papaccioli rounded off the scoring on his competition debut, just 30 minutes after coming on.

The headline writers have gravitated towards Tasos Douvikas, after his hat-trick and assist, and that’s perfectly understandable.

However, there’s one player who knits everything together at Como. A youngster who has the brightest of futures in the game, and who has been handed the responsibility of taking over Argentina’s number 10 shirt from Lionel Messi.

Nico Paz is still only 22 years of age, but plays like a veteran, dictating from his attacking midfield position.

UCL masterclass

His emergence isn’t a surprise, and in Fabregas, he has a coach who will fully encourage the youngster to express himself in whatever way he sees fit.

Allowing a player such freedom is rare in the modern game, but it’s easy to understand in Paz’s case. 

Even before the game against Lens, he’d become the second youngest Argentinian, behind only Messi, to score in the Champions League against Man Utd, in what was a man of the match showing.

Against the French outfit, he delivered another Champions League masterclass, earning a 9.3 Flashscore rating.

Solid in attack and defence

Two assists gave him five in total in this year’s competition, which is currently more than any other player in it. His four shots attempted were the most from any Como player in the 26/27 UCL too.

Only Lens’ Ruben Aguilar could match his 16 passes into the final third, though, oddly enough, his passing on the night was the one thing that let him down.

Just 73.5% completion was the worst showing from a Como perspective, but not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things.

His seven touches in the opposition penalty area were the most of any player from the away side, and more than double that of any Lens player.

Five dribbles, three of which were successful, saw him only behind Martin Baturina (seven and four, respectively) on the night, whilst the winning of seven one-on-one duels (from 15 attempted) couldn’t be topped.

Only Lens’ Thorgen Hazard earned more fouls (three) than Paz’s two, and the Argentinian also won 100% of his tackles, in what was a truly mesmerising showing.

Real Madrid’s buy-back clause

How Real Madrid must be rueing the day that they allowed him to leave the club, for he is developing into one of the best in Europe in his position.

Though there is a buy-back clause set at €80 million, which only Real Madrid can trigger, and only during the summer of 2027, it’s difficult to see such a move taking place given that Los Blancos already have players such as Arda Guler whom they can call upon.

Paz’s trajectory is rising at such a pace that being second fiddle to anyone else would be counterproductive, and if Como continue to excel in any event, why would the youngster want to throw that away?

As long as he stays clear of injury, 26/27 could well be Paz’s year, and decent performances in the two fixtures at the start of the new year against current UCL holders Paris Saint-Germain, and Fabregas’ old club Barcelona, may well cement his standing in the game.

Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.