Como FC are the form team heading into this Champions League encounter, and that is the headline nobody expected to write at the start of the season. The Italian side have rattled off consecutive victories — a commanding 4-1 demolition of Genoa followed by a gritty 2-1 triumph over Napoli — and now welcome RB Leipzig to their lakeside home on September 10 with momentum firmly on their side. For a club still relatively new to European football's top table, this is a statement stretch of results that has their fanbase dreaming big.

Leipzig, by contrast, arrive in Como, Italy, nursing wounds from a chastening 1-3 defeat to Werder Bremen. That loss exposed defensive vulnerabilities and a lack of cohesion in the final third, raising questions about whether the German side can regroup quickly enough for a Champions League night that demands intensity from the first whistle. Leipzig's recent trajectory suggests a squad searching for rhythm, and travelling to face a confident opponent is far from the ideal setting for a reset.

The key battle in this fixture will be Como's attack against Leipzig's fragile backline. Como scored six goals across their last two outings, suggesting their forwards are sharp and their creative players are finding pockets of space with regularity. Leipzig's defence, which conceded three to Bremen, will need a vastly improved performance to contain that threat. Equally, Leipzig's attacking talent — still considerable on paper — will look to exploit any overconfidence in a Como side that may push high up the pitch.

The stakes are significant for both clubs. Como are looking to prove that their domestic form is no fluke and that they belong at this level of competition. A home win in the Champions League would cement their credibility and could prove decisive in their campaign. Leipzig, meanwhile, simply cannot afford another defeat; a loss here would compound the Bremen setback and put serious pressure on their European ambitions moving forward.

Prediction: Como's home advantage and superior recent form tilt this one in the Italians' favour. Leipzig have the pedigree in European competition, but their current confidence deficit is hard to overlook. Expect Como to edge a tight contest — a 2-1 home win feels like the likeliest outcome, though Leipzig's quality means the hosts will have to earn every moment of it.