Real Madrid completed another comeback in the Champions League, beating AEK Athens 3:2 away from home. The Spanish side fell behind twice but secured the victory with a goal from Federico Valverde in the second minute of stoppage time.
The hosts started more actively and took the lead in the 12th minute. Luka Jović found Aboubakary Koita, who got past Marc Cucurella and shot into the near corner, leaving Thibaut Courtois with no chance to react.
Real Madrid could have equalised before half-time. In the 28th minute, Jude Bellingham sent the ball into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Four minutes later, however, the England international scored a valid goal after a pass from Cucurella and a superb backheel finish.
The second half saw Real Madrid enjoy more possession and exert greater pressure, but the hosts once again found a way to take the lead. In the 75th minute, Koita played Stavros Pilios through into the penalty area, and the AEK defender finished the attack with a shot into the near corner to make it 2:1.
The Greek side’s lead lasted just three minutes, however. Denzel Dumfries broke down the right flank and passed to Kylian Mbappé, who restored parity from close range.
The French forward could have scored a second goal, but his shot hit the post in the 86th minute. The decisive moment came in the 90th minute. Valverde was given space outside the penalty area and secured Real Madrid’s victory with a powerful long-range strike.
The victory left Real Madrid with a perfect record after the first four matches in the league phase of the competition. José Mourinho’s side have already beaten Inter, Roma, Leipzig and AEK Athens.
Before the match, Mourinho warned that their opponents must not be underestimated: “We have to play at our maximum, be serious and try to maintain our level of performance,” the coach told AS.
For AEK, this was their third defeat in the competition after losses to Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City. Real Madrid’s next match is at home to PSV Eindhoven on 24 November, while AEK will host Galatasaray on 8 December.