Paz Stars in Como's Historic Win
Como 1907 claimed a historic victory in their debut Champions League season. Playing at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia early on Thursday (22/10/2026) WIB, Cesc Fàbregas' side thrashed Manchester United 4-1 on Champions League 2026/2027 league-phase matchday 3.
Nico Paz was the star of the night. The young Argentina midfielder opened the scoring just two minutes in with a curling shot from the edge of the box, set up by Lucas da Cunha. The early goal sent the Sinigaglia crowd into delirium and put United immediately on the back foot.
Como doubled their lead just after the break. In the 49th minute, Anastasios Douvikas latched onto Paz's through ball and lobbed goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Eight minutes later, Paz was on the scoresheet again — capitalising on a defensive error before firing an unstoppable left-footed shot. Jacobo Ramón completed the rout with a header in the 76th minute, before Joshua Zirkzee netted a stoppage-time consolation for United.
United's Crisis Deepens
The heavy defeat deepened Manchester United's crisis. Michael Carrick's side are enduring their worst start in 40 years and now languish in 20th place in the league-phase standings. United have won only one of their last 11 away Champions League matches.
In another damning statistic, United became the first English team to concede inside the opening two minutes of consecutive major European matches — after Pablo Barrios scored in the first minute for Atlético Madrid last week. Carrick, forced to field a heavily reshuffled line-up due to an injury crisis, now faces huge pressure over his future, with this weekend's trip to Bournemouth described as decisive.
Anastasios Douvikas continued his fine form with his third goal in three Champions League matches this season. United, in contrast, have now conceded six goals and scored just one in their last two European outings — a record that sums up the Red Devils' fragile defence.
Como Climb Into the Top Six
The win lifted Como to sixth in the standings with six points from three matches — a remarkable return for a club playing in Italy's fourth tier just seven years ago. Fàbregas praised his players' fearless mentality against a club of United's stature.
For Nico Paz, the performance further cemented his status as one of Europe's brightest young talents. The Argentina international was directly involved in three of Como's four goals — two goals and one assist — and is reportedly heating up the race for the playmaker role in the Argentina squad.
Como will look to keep the momentum going as the competition continues, while United must bounce back quickly to avoid an early exit from the race for the next round.
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