Lens vs Como preview: Cesc Fàbregas and his players travel to France for another important test in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. Como will face Lens at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Wednesday evening, looking to strengthen their position in the league phase and continue an impressive European campaign.
The match brings together two teams in very different situations. Como have collected six points from their opening three Champions League fixtures, while Lens have three and currently sit outside the knockout play-off positions.
The Italian side have already shown that they can compete at this level. However, the atmosphere in Lens, the hosts’ need for points and Como’s limited European squad make this one of the most demanding matches of their campaign.
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Lens vs Como preview: match information
- Competition: UEFA Champions League 2026/27
- Stage: League phase, Matchday 4
- Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2026
- Kick-off: 21:00 CET
- Venue: Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
- TV in Italy: Sky
- Streaming in Italy: NOW
- Referee: Rohit Saggi, Norway
The match will be played at one of the most intense grounds in French football. The Stade Bollaert-Delelis holds approximately 38,000 spectators and is known for generating a powerful atmosphere well before kick-off.
Como will therefore need to manage both the tactical challenge presented by Lens and the emotional pressure created by the home crowd.
Where to watch Lens vs Como
Lens vs Como kicks off at 9:00 pm CET on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
In Italy, the Champions League match will be shown live on Sky. The game begins at 8:00 pm in the United Kingdom and Ireland, 3:00 pm on the US and Canadian East Coast and 12:00 noon on the US West Coast.
Supporters in Australia and East Asia can watch the match on the morning of Thursday, 5 November, including a 7:00 am AEDT kick-off in Sydney and Melbourne and a 5:00 am JST start in Japan.
International coverage is available through the official Champions League broadcasters in each territory. Channels, streaming platforms and subscription requirements may vary, so viewers should check their local schedules before kick-off.
Read our complete guide: Where to watch Lens vs Como: TV channels, live streams and worldwide kick-off times.
Lens vs Como preview: Champions League standings
Como enter Matchday 4 with six points from three matches. Fàbregas’ team have recorded two victories and one defeat, scoring ten goals and conceding five.
That record leaves Como in ninth place before the fourth round of league-phase fixtures, inside the seeded knockout play-off positions and close to the top eight.
Como began their first Champions League campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig. The Lariani then suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Feyenoord before producing another historic performance at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, where they defeated Manchester United 4-1.
Lens have collected three points from three games, scoring three goals and conceding seven. Cahuzac’s team occupy 27th place, immediately outside the positions that would provide access to the knockout play-offs.
The French side opened the competition with a 3-2 victory over Slavia Prague, but then lost 2-0 to Sporting CP and 3-0 to Club Brugge.
Victory in France would move Como to nine points and place the club in a very strong position with four league-phase games remaining. A Lens win, however, would bring the hosts level with the Italian side and reopen the qualification race.
Lens vs Como preview: recent form
Como arrive in France after defeating Venezia 1-0 in Serie A. Lucas Da Cunha converted the decisive penalty shortly before half-time, giving his team another important domestic victory.
The result extended Como’s winning run to five matches across all competitions. The Lariani are also unbeaten in five and have scored in six consecutive games.
There is still one concerning statistic for Fàbregas. Como have conceded in seven consecutive away matches, suggesting that the team can become more vulnerable when playing outside the Sinigaglia.
Lens enter the match after a 1-0 defeat against Lille in the Derby du Nord. Olivier Giroud scored the late winner at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The French club have registered three wins, one draw and four defeats in their last eight matches in all competitions. Lens have also conceded in 12 consecutive games and in each of their last five home fixtures.
Those numbers indicate potential defensive opportunities for Como. Nevertheless, Lens’ home support and urgent need for points could make the opening stages particularly difficult.
Lens’ remarkable 2026 trophy double
Lens’ current European campaign follows one of the most successful periods in the club’s history. In 2026, the Sang et Or lifted their first Coupe de France and then defeated Paris Saint-Germain to win the Trophée des Champions.
Those two trophies strengthened Lens’ return to the highest level of French and European football. They also help explain the expectations surrounding the team, despite its difficult start to the Champions League league phase.
Read more: RC Lens in 2026: the cup winners preparing to face Como
RC Lens against Italian clubs
Como will become the latest Italian team to face Lens in European competition. Before this Champions League meeting, the French side had already played ten continental matches against Italian opposition, producing several memorable encounters.
Those precedents offer useful context for the match at Bollaert-Delelis and show how Lens have historically performed against Serie A clubs on the European stage.
Read more: RC Lens against Italian clubs: results and history
Lens praise Como and Fàbregas
Lens have made it clear that they will not underestimate Como. Yannick Cahuzac described Fàbregas’ team as “a great side” with a clear game plan, effective possession, intelligent movement and an impressive ability to occupy space.
“Cesc Fàbregas is a coach who inspires me,” Cahuzac added. “He is young, but he has very clear ideas.” The Lens coach also ruled out making calculations based on the standings, suggesting that the hosts will approach the game aggressively.
Ruben Aguilar, who played alongside Fàbregas at AS Monaco between 2019 and 2022, also praised the Como coach’s professionalism and attention to detail. “He was pure class,” Aguilar said. “He leaves nothing to chance. He is very meticulous and has excellent ideas.”
The Lens defender described Como as an emerging European club with talented players and an attractive style. His familiarity with Fàbregas adds another tactical dimension to the match, but the comments from both Cahuzac and Aguilar primarily demonstrate the respect Como’s identity has earned beyond Italy.
Fàbregas prepares Como for the Lens atmosphere
Fàbregas has warned that Como must manage the physical demands created by the club’s European schedule. Only 15 available first-team players are included on the Champions League list, which significantly reduces the opportunity to rotate.
The Como coach has indicated that every available player may be needed in Lens. Serie A remains the club’s priority, but the Champions League represents an important step in the development of the team and the wider project.
Fàbregas has described the competition as a reward earned through Como’s previous domestic season. At the same time, he wants his players to approach each fixture individually and experience European football without losing sight of the club’s long-term growth.
The coach has also prepared the squad for the Bollaert-Delelis atmosphere. Como’s players have been shown videos of the stadium and its supporters so that they understand what to expect before kick-off.
The crowd often fills the stadium during the warm-up. Como will need composure from the opening minutes, when Lens are likely to press aggressively and attempt to use the energy of the supporters.
The history behind Lens and Bollaert-Delelis
The atmosphere awaiting Como cannot be separated from the history of RC Lens. The French club developed alongside the coal-mining communities of northern France, while the Stade Bollaert-Delelis was originally built with the labour of local miners.
Lens’ red-and-gold colours, the miner’s lamp on the badge and the traditional singing of Les Corons continue to reflect that working-class heritage. The stadium is more than a home ground: it is the physical and emotional centre of a club closely connected to its city and the surrounding region.
RC Lens have also produced several memorable European nights at Bollaert, including victories over AC Milan and Arsenal. Como will therefore enter a stadium where history, community and football remain deeply connected.
Read more: Blood, Gold and Coal: The Remarkable RC Lens History
Lens beyond football: mines, reconstruction and the Louvre
The story surrounding Lens vs Como extends beyond the stadium and the football club. The city was profoundly shaped by coal mining, migration, two world wars and the long process of industrial reconstruction.
Today, Lens preserves that heritage while presenting a different cultural identity through the former mining landscape and the Louvre-Lens. These places help explain the close relationship between the city, its working communities and RC Lens.
For Como supporters travelling to France, understanding the city also means understanding why football occupies such an important place in the identity of the region.
Discover the city: Lens: Mines, Football and the Louvre Before Como
Lens vs Como probable lineups
Lens probable lineup
Formation: 3-4-2-1
Risser; Gradit, Baidoo, Aguilar; Udol, Haidara, Cuisance, Abdulhamid; Kadile, Hazard; Thauvin.
Coach: Yannick Cahuzac.
Como probable lineup
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Butez; Yan Couto, Jacobo Ramón, Kempf, Álex Valle; Perrone, Milla; Da Cunha, Nico Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.
Coach: Cesc Fàbregas.
Perrone could return to the starting midfield, while Valle is considered the favourite ahead of Kaiki Bruno at left-back.
Butez is expected to start in goal. Fàbregas discussed the competition between Como’s goalkeepers during his press conference and indicated that Butez was a genuine option.
Da Cunha is currently favoured over Maxence Caqueret on the right side of the attacking midfield line. Nico Paz should play centrally, with Baturina starting from the left and moving inside to combine with the Argentine.
Lens vs Como team news
Cahuzac confirmed that most of the Lens squad is available.
Odsonne Édouard has returned following his medical procedure, while Maik Nawrocki, Ismaëlo Ganiou and Abdallah Sima are continuing their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Pre-match lineup information lists Ganiou, Édouard and Sima among the unavailable players. The final status of Édouard will therefore depend on whether his return is limited to individual recovery work or includes full group training.
Como will be without Moise Kean, Trevoh Chalobah and Assane Diao. Chalobah’s absence is particularly significant because the defender would have offered Fàbregas another option in a demanding physical match.
Some external previews have also named Jesús Rodríguez and Jayden Addai among Como’s attacking absences.
Lens substitutes
Gurtner, Gorgelin, Skóraś, Todibo, Çelik, António, Bulatović, Titraoui, Sotoca, Sagnan, Ivanović and Mesloub.
Como substitutes
Sánchez, Ginelli, Dossena, Kaiki Bruno, Smolčić, Grilli, Caqueret, Ricci, Liberali and Papaccioli.
The official starting lineups will be announced approximately one hour before kick-off.
Lens vs Como players to watch
Nico Paz
Paz is Como’s most important creative player. His positioning between the Lens midfield and defence could create the visitors’ best opportunities.
Florian Thauvin
Thauvin brings experience and technical quality to the Lens attack. Como cannot allow him to receive freely around the edge of the penalty area.
Máximo Perrone
Perrone can provide balance during Como’s possession phases. His positioning will also be crucial when Couto and Valle advance.
Ruben Aguilar
Aguilar’s experience in a three-player defence and familiarity with Fàbregas could help Lens anticipate some of Como’s attacking movements.
Tasos Douvikas
Douvikas must provide Como with a reference point against the Lens central defenders. His movement can create space for Paz and Baturina, especially when Lens defend aggressively.
Lens vs Como prediction
Lens should begin aggressively, encouraged by the home crowd and their urgent need to respond after two consecutive European defeats.
Como may have to defend for extended periods and will not always be able to control possession. However, Fàbregas’ side have the technical quality to escape the Lens pressure and exploit the spaces left in midfield.
The visitors’ recent form and attacking production in Europe suggest that they can compete for all three points. Lens’ defensive record also offers encouragement to Paz, Baturina and Douvikas.
Both teams should create scoring opportunities, but Como’s quality between the lines could make the difference.
Prediction: Lens 1-2 Como.
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