Como and the best debut seasons in Champions League history

Como’s first night in the Champions League could hardly have gone better, with a stunning 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig. Cesc Fabregas’s side are not among the favourites in the Champions League 2026/27 winner odds, but various first-time entrants have gone deep before. Some have won the trophy at the first attempt, and others have come within minutes of a semi-final.

Nottingham Forest, 1978-79

Forest won the First Division in 1977-78, a season after promotion, and entered the European Cup for the first time. Brian Clough’s side knocked out holders Liverpool in the first round and beat Malmo 1-0 in the final in Munich on 30 May 1979, with Trevor Francis scoring the only goal. They retained the trophy the following season.

Aston Villa, 1981-82

Villa qualified for the European Cup for the first time by winning the 1980-81 First Division, and they won it at the first attempt too. Peter Withe scored the only goal of the final against Bayern Munich in Rotterdam. No club has won the competition in its debut season since.

Villarreal, 2005-06

Villarreal topped a group that Manchester United finished bottom of in their first Champions League campaign, then reached the semi-finals. Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 at Highbury through Kolo Toure. In the closing moments of the second leg, Jens Lehmann saved a penalty from Juan Roman Riquelme that would have taken the tie to extra time. Arsenal went through 1-0 on aggregate.

Malaga, 2012-13

Malaga topped their group unbeaten on debut and beat Porto 2-1 on aggregate in the last 16, with Isco scoring in the second leg. The quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund went to the final seconds. Eliseu put Malaga 2-1 up in Dortmund in the 82nd minute, before Marco Reus and Felipe Santana scored in stoppage time to win it 3-2. Santana’s winner is still remembered for how offside it looked.

Leicester City, 2016-17

The 2015-16 Premier League champions won Group G on their Champions League debut, finishing two points clear of Porto with 13 points. They lost 2-1 at Sevilla in the last 16 first leg, then won the return 2-0 at the King Power Stadium. Atletico Madrid ended the run in the quarter-finals, 2-1 on aggregate.

Atalanta, 2019-20

Atalanta lost their first three group games, including 4-0 at Dinamo Zagreb and 5-1 at Manchester City. They still became the first club to reach the last 16 after such a start, sealing it with a 3-0 win at Shakhtar Donetsk on the final matchday. Josip Ilicic then scored all four goals in a 4-3 win at Valencia. In a one-off quarter-final in Lisbon in August 2020, Atalanta led Paris Saint-Germain until the 90th minute and lost 2-1.

Brest, 2024-25

Brest are the best guide to what a debut looks like in the league phase era. Their first European game of any kind was a 2-1 win over Sturm Graz in September 2024. They finished 18th with 13 points, level with Paris Saint-Germain but three places above them. The knockout play-off between the two was a different story, as the Paris side won 10-0 on aggregate.

Where this season’s debutants stand

Como beat RB Leipzig 4-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia on 10 September and go to Feyenoord on 14 October. The other three debutants all lost on matchday one. Viking were beaten 3-1 by Stuttgart and host Bayern Munich on 13 October, LASK lost 1-0 at AEK Athens and Sabah lost 4-0 at Manchester United.

The top 24 of the 36-team table go into the knockout rounds, and Brest’s points total shows the bar is reachable. Como are the only debutant with points on the board after one game. Anyone planning to back a debutant before matchday two can check the latest bet promotions first.