Como's attack more than doubled its usual xG in a 9-1 win at Lens

Como scored nine at Lens, with Anastasios Douvikas netting three, after a Lens penalty was cancelled early on.

Nine goals is nearly three times what Como usually score away from home, and one striker accounts for a third of them. Anastasios Douvikas scored at 7, 32 and 57 minutes, and the first of those came before the opening quarter of an hour was over.

Lens had a moment early on that might have changed things. Florian Thauvin's penalty at 17 minutes was cancelled after a VAR review, and the chance passed quickly. Como scored again at 32 and 40, and led three-nil at half time.

Lens had 42% of the ball, where they usually have 54%, and took 11 shots when they normally take 22. Their expected goals, a measure of how good a side's chances were, came to 0.85, against a usual 1.86. Ruben Aguilar's goal at 65 minutes was a fair reward for the effort they did put in, but it was a small return on the chances they created.

Como's own numbers ran the other way. They had 58% of the ball, a modest rise on their usual share, but they made 18 shots where they average around 11.7. Their expected goals reached 3.86, more than double the 1.69 they normally produce, and 12 of their efforts were on target. Those are the kind of figures that turn a good away day into a rout.

Douvikas finished the match with three goals and an assist, the highest rating of anyone on the pitch. Nico Paz scored once and set up two more, while Mattia Liberali also laid on two assists. Between them, the three of them were involved in most of Como's goals, and Paz's pass to Lucas Da Cunha at 47 minutes started the second-half run.

Lens concede about 2.3 goals per home game this season, so letting in nine was a result far outside their normal range. Across the league's 80 matches so far, the average is 3.9 goals per game, which makes this 10-goal contest well above the norm. What set it apart was not the total, but how little Lens had of the ball and of the chances.

Como's six points from three games lift them to 11th in the table, while Lens, with three points from the same number of matches, sit 26th.

Player of the matchT. Douvikas3 goals · 1 assist9.9

N. Paz1 goal · 2 assists9.1

M. Liberali1 goal · 2 assists8.4

L. da Cunha1 goal7.9