On Thursday evening, Martin Baturina made history for Como by becoming the first player to score for the Italian club in the Champions League. After netting a goal in the 15th minute, the brilliant Baturina provided an assist to Anastasios Douvikas in the 38th minute, doubling the team’s lead. Although Cesc Fàbregas substituted him in the 66th minute, Baturina was deservedly named Man of the Match for his performance.

With a Sofacore rating of 9.2, Baturina outperformed all other top attacking midfielders in the opening round of the Champions League. Martin Ødegaard came closest with a Sofascore rating of 9.1, having secured three valuable points for Arsenal with a winning goal against Napoli. Finishing behind Baturina were players such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Nico Paz, Jamal Musiala, Jude Bellingham, Florian Wirtz, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze, and Dani Olmo – many of whom commanded transfer fees several times higher than what Como paid to bring Baturina over from Dinamo Zagreb last season.

The Resurgence

When he arrived at Como last season for a fee of around 18 million euros, expectations for Baturina’s contribution were high, yet that impact failed to materialize during the first half of the campaign.

The first part of the season at Como was a period of adjustment for Martin Baturina, characterized by frequent appearances off the bench. By January 10th, he had made 12 appearances, averaging just 31 minutes on the pitch and recording a modest tally of one goal and one assist (Sofascore rating: 6.72). However, the remainder of the season brought a complete transformation. By taking on greater responsibility and doubling his playing time (averaging 68 minutes across 22 matches), Baturina has become a key player for the team. His average rating has climbed to an impressive 7.39, while his tangible output has surged to 7 goals and 3 assists – meaning he is directly involved in a goal every 149 minutes.

Beyond his scoring contribution, Baturina has drastically elevated his levels of creativity.

Key passes: Rose from 0.92 to an impressive 2.86 per match.

Shots on goal: A fourfold increase, rising from 0.33 to 1.36 per game.

Successful dribbles: Climbed from a modest 0.08 to 1.14, showcasing the true extent of his talent.

This statistical resurgence confirms that Baturina has moved past his adaptation period and developed into one of the league’s most influential midfielders.

Football in the DNA: A talent shaped from the start

The culmination of it all came this very season, with him established as an indispensable member of the starting lineup, and the icing on the cake was his brilliant performance against RB Leipzig.

But who was Martin Baturina before he made headlines around the world?

This summer, he played a notable role for Croatia at the World Cup, earning a Sofascore rating of 7.18 – the highest on the national team. The Croatian public, media, experts, and fans largely agreed with this assessment.

While his prominence might have come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with Croatian football., especially, alongside names like Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, Mateo Kovačić, and Joško Gvardiol – it was not such a shock within Croatia itself.

Martin comes from a family deeply rooted in sports. His father, Mate, was a well-known footballer in the 1990s and 2000s, even making a single appearance for the Croatian national team in 1999. Martin’s older brother, Roko, is also a footballer, currently playing for FC Aarau. As for Martin, it was evident from a young age that he was a tremendous talent destined to develop into a top-class player, provided his career progressed as expected.

Best in Croatia: The Rise of a New Playmaker

Although he began his career as a boy at Hajduk Split, Baturina moved to their arch-rivals, Dinamo Zagreb, at the age of 14. He was a regular in Croatia’s youth national teams from an early age, and his name was increasingly mentioned as the “next big thing” in Croatian football. The club renowned worldwide for developing young players (after all, Luka Modrić launched his magnificent career at Dinamo) did not hesitate for long, and Baturina made his debut on May 16, 2021.

He spent the following season moving between the first and second teams before his rapid rise began and he took the reins of Dinamo’s play. He made his national team debut in 2023 and concluded the 2024/25 season as the Sofascore Player of the Season in the Croatian top flight with a rating of 7.45, subsequently earning a move to Como.