Baturina sets the tempo and ruthless finishing puts Como in the Champions zone: 4-1 over RB Leipzig

Baturina lights up the night

Picture the touch and the pass that become certainty: on 15', Martin Baturina breaks the deadlock and sets the music at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia. It’s not just the opening strike of the 4-1; it’s the signature of the player dictating the cadence. The numbers back it up: best rating on the pitch (9), 3 key passes and 3 dribbles. Before the break he left another stamp, the assist for Anastasios Douvikas to make it 2-0 on 38'. The first half is explained there: a technical focal point lighting up spaces and a team winning the fights that matter.

The detail a short recap misses is physical and repeated: Como won the clashes (53 duels won to 37), bit harder (19 tackles to 13) and prevailed one-on-one (14 successful dribbles to 9). On that base, the home side always found one extra pass and a better-angled shot.

The turning point hiding in the data

On paper, it looked even: both teams finished with 14 shots. On the scoreboard, a rout. The gap lived in shot quality and accuracy: Como put 6 on target to Leipzig’s 4 and shot more in dangerous areas (10 inside the box versus 8). The number that flips the reading is efficiency: 4 goals from 2.29 xG. That overperformance explains why a game of twin shot counts tilted so heavily.

Even the side notes underline the paradox: less possession (49%) and just 1 corner, against Leipzig’s 5, yet far more poison with each incursion. The momentum draws the full arc: period by period, from 0' to 90', the push belonged to Como, with 26 minutes of effective pressure to the visitors’ 11. The hosts didn’t need a barrage; imposing the rhythm and hitting cleanly was enough.

Leipzig’s feint and the final answer

The second half reopens the tale with a third blow: Assane Diao scores on 54' from a Nico Paz pass, who read the game with Baturina’s same clarity. RB Leipzig replied instantly: Andrija Maksimović pulled one back on 58' assisted by Christopher Nkunku, and a triple substitution followed on 60' to stir the board. The visitors’ surge, however, didn’t change the pulse: momentum also sided with the hosts from 60'-75', and the threat fizzled into attempts without edge.

The ending repeats the pattern and the cast: on 90', Máximo Perrone seals the 4-1, again from Nico Paz’s delivery. Two assists for him, a goal and an assist for Baturina, and the sense that every time Como accelerated, it found the lane.

What it means in the League Stage

It was the first ever meeting and they arrived neck-and-neck in the table (22nd and 23rd). In tournament terms, this win places Como where it matters: in the Promotion - Champions League (Play Offs: 1/16-finals) zone. Not a trivial note in a League Stage that rewards consistency more than the isolated spark.

One last line for those reading beyond the score: RB Leipzig produced more key passes (12 to 9), yet less true danger (1.28 xG) and only 4 shots on target. The contrast with the hosts’ efficiency —4 goals from 6 shots on target— defines the story better than any flourish. The night had a clear owner because the pattern, from Baturina’s first touch to Perrone’s final strike, never changed: set the tempo and finish when the game says now.