Page 6 of 11 · European Nights: Champions League
The PinkTHURSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2026European Nights: Champions League · Page 6

European Nights: Champions League

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · LENS

NINE! COMO EQUAL THE RECORD

Lens 1, Como 9. Lens: Ruben Aguilar 65; Como: Anastasios Douvikas 7, 32, 57, Nico Paz 40, Lucas Da Cunha 47, Marc-Oliver Kempf 53, Mattia Liberali 62, Martin Baturina 69, Matteo Papaccioli 90+1. Douvikas hat-trick in the biggest away win in Champions League history

Seeing things: Como's nine at Lens equalled the most goals by a team in a Champions League game.
“What they are doing is so impressive, considering this is their first time in Europe.”

Nedum Onuoha, former Manchester City defender, to BBC Sport

Seeing things: Como's nine at Lens equalled the most goals by a team in a Champions League game.

Como put nine past Lens. That equals Bayern Munich's tally against Dinamo Zagreb in 2024, the most scored by a team in a Champions League game, and it is the biggest away win in the competition's history.

Greece forward Tasos Douvikas started it in the seventh minute from close range and scored again before Nico Paz smashed in the third five minutes before half-time. Paz showed a T-shirt in tribute to Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died after a serious injury in an on-pitch collision.

Captain Lucas da Cunha made it four less than two minutes into the second half. Marc-Oliver Kempf headed the fifth, Paz put Douvikas through to complete his hat-trick, and substitute Mattia Liberali ran clear for the seventh after 62 minutes.

Ruben Aguilar's volley from a corner pulled one back for Lens, but Martin Baturina made it 8-1. In stoppage time, 18-year-old Matteo Papaccioli finished calmly. It was given offside, until VAR showed he had timed his run perfectly.

Cesc Fabregas' side, in Serie D as recently as 2018-19, are fourth in the league-phase table.

“What they are doing is so impressive, considering this is their first time in Europe.” – Nedum Onuoha, former Manchester City defender, to BBC Sport

Where it leaves them: Lens 33rd on 3 points; Como 4th on 9 points.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · PORTO

PORTO RUN NAPOLI RAGGED AFTER McTOMINAY LEVELS

FC Porto 4, Napoli 1. FC Porto: Jan Bednarek 11, Gabri Veiga 71, Jakub Kiwior 80, Samuel Aghehowa 90 pen; Napoli: Scott McTominay 43. Three second-half goals and a red card give Farioli's side their first Champions League win

Porto had won all 10 of their Primeira Liga games and lost all three in Europe. On Wednesday night they finally did it in the Champions League too, and how.

Francesco Farioli's side went ahead after 11 minutes with a powerful header from former Southampton defender Jan Bednarek, from Gabri Veiga's corner.

Scott McTominay levelled two minutes before the break. Diogo Costa parried Rasmus Hojlund's effort from Kevin De Bruyne's cross, and the Scotland midfielder buried the rebound. It was his second goal in successive Champions League games after his return from heart surgery.

Porto dominated the second half. Bednarek and Veiga both hit the crossbar before Veiga slotted in the second from Santiago Gimenez's through-ball. Former Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior headed in Hwang In-beom's corner for the third in the 80th minute.

Rafa Marin was sent off for fouling Samu Aghehowa, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, and Aghehowa scored the penalty. Marin will miss Napoli's trip to Manchester City on 24 November. Both clubs have three points from four games.

Where it leaves them: FC Porto 26th on 3 points; Napoli 27th on 3 points.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · STAVANGER

BOTHEIM DOUBLE AS VIKING SINK TEN-MAN SABAH

Viking 4, Sabah FA 1. Viking: Erik Botheim 27, 90+4, Zlatko Tripić 69, Henrik Falchener 81; Sabah FA: Patrick Orphe Mbina 11. Norwegians come from behind for their first league-phase win since returning to Europe's top table

Viking, in the Champions League for the first time since 1992-93, have their first win of the league phase.

Sabah, making their debut in the competition nine years after the club was founded, went ahead against the run of play. Umarali Rakhmonaliev's swift counter-attack ended with Orphe Mbina tapping in from close range.

Viking responded, and Erik Botheim met an excellent cross to turn the ball past the goalkeeper.

Sabah were penalised for handball in the box. Zlatko Tripic's spot-kick was saved, but he prodded in the rebound. Aden McCarthy was then shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge.

Henrik Falchener rose highest to head in a corner for the third, and Botheim got his second in stoppage time after a calamitous Sabah attempt to play out from the back.

Viking travel to Atletico Madrid on 25 November. Sabah host Barcelona the same evening.

Where it leaves them: Viking 22nd on 4 points; Sabah FA 31st on 3 points.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · ATHENS

VALVERDE THUNDERBOLT KEEPS REAL PERFECT

AEK Athens FC 2, Real Madrid 3. AEK Athens FC: Aboubakary Koita 12, Stavros Pilios 75; Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham 32, Kylian Mbappé 78, Federico Valverde 90+2. AEK led with 15 minutes left, then Mbappe and a stoppage-time screamer broke Athens hearts

Real Madrid were 15 minutes from a famous defeat in Athens. They left with a fourth win from four in the league phase, and their 100% record intact.

AEK went ahead early when Aboubakary Koita drove in a powerful finish. Jude Bellingham levelled in the 32nd minute with an outrageous back-heel across the face of goal. At 23 years and 128 days, he became the youngest player to score in seven successive Champions League seasons, passing team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

AEK kept going and got their reward 15 minutes from time. Stavros Pilios made a goal-saving block to deny Mbappe, then raced the length of the pitch to finish an attack at the near post.

Three minutes later, Mbappe levelled at the far post from Denzel Dumfries' ball. Two minutes into stoppage time, Federico Valverde, set up by Brahim Diaz, thundered a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top corner.

Koita was sent off after the final whistle as the hosts' frustration boiled over.

Where it leaves them: AEK Athens FC 29th on 3 points; Real Madrid 2nd on 12 points.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · DORTMUND

KARETSAS ENDS BETIS' PERFECT RUN

Borussia Dortmund 2, Real Betis 1. Borussia Dortmund: Fábio Silva 49, Konstantinos Karetsas 72; Real Betis: Aitor Ruibal 67. An 18-year-old's first Champions League goal puts Dortmund level with the Spaniards on nine points

Real Betis arrived at the Westfalenstadion with three wins from three. Borussia Dortmund sent them home with nothing.

Before kick-off, both teams stood for a minute's silence for Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel, who died after an on-field collision in a Spanish second-division match on Monday.

The breakthrough came four minutes into the second half. England Under-21 midfielder Jobe Bellingham's shot was saved by the foot of Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles, and former Wolves striker Fabio Silva was well placed to convert the rebound.

Betis equalised in the 67th minute. Substitute Aitor Ruibal had been on for five minutes when he arrived unmarked at the back post to turn in Abde Ezzalzouli's low cross.

Dortmund responded at once. Bellingham's diving header drew a brilliant one-handed save from Valles, and Nico Schlotterbeck headed over. In the 72nd minute, Silva found 18-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas, who scored his first Champions League goal with a low strike.

Both sides have nine points from four games. Dortmund play at Arsenal on 24 November.

Where it leaves them: Borussia Dortmund 12th on 9 points; Real Betis 11th on 9 points.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE · EINDHOVEN

FORBS BREAKS AWAY TO WIN IT FOR BRUGGE

PSV Eindhoven 1, Club Brugge KV 2. PSV Eindhoven: Kodai Sano 54; Club Brugge KV: Nicolo Tresoldi 25, Carlos Forbs 65. A superb counter-attack settles it after Sano's deflected effort cancels out Tresoldi's header

Club Brugge kept up their push to get out of the league phase with a battling win at the Philips Stadion that lifts them to ninth.

After a slow start, Nicolo Tresoldi broke the deadlock. PSV failed to clear a corner, the ball was dinked back into the middle, and the striker nodded in his fifth Champions League goal of the campaign.

Carlos Forbs had chances to extend the lead before the break, while Sergino Dest was PSV's biggest threat and forced Yann Sommer into a couple of good saves.

PSV levelled when Brugge failed to clear Lutsharel Geertruida's low cross. Kodai Sano collected the loose ball and his shot took a big deflection before curling inside the far post.

Brugge went back in front with a superb counter-attack. Joaquin Seys won the ball on the edge of his own area and released Forbs, who raced through and calmly slotted into the far corner.

PSV go to Real Madrid on 24 November. Brugge host Liverpool the following evening.

Where it leaves them: PSV Eindhoven 24th on 4 points; Club Brugge KV 9th on 9 points.

A mockup of the printed edition. Every word set here comes from the night's reports, results and tables.