Federico Valverde struck from outside the box in the second minute of stoppage time to give Real Madrid a 3-2 win at AEK Athens, completing a comeback José Mourinho's side needed twice on Wednesday night.
Match facts
- Result: AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid (half-time 1-1)
- Competition: UEFA Champions League, League Stage, Matchday 4
- Venue: Allwyn Arena, Athens
- Scorers: AEK Athens - Koïta 12', Pilios 75'; Real Madrid - Bellingham 32', Mbappé 78', Valverde 90+2'
- Assists: AEK Athens - Jović (12'), Koïta (75'); Real Madrid - Cucurella (32'), Dumfries (78'), Díaz (90+2')
- Red cards: Koïta (AEK Athens) 90+5'
- Attendance: 30,368
How the match unfolded
AEK had won only once in their first three matches, but they started as though the table did not apply to them. Inside five minutes Mijat Gaćinović worked space in the box and forced Thibaut Courtois into a save, and the goalkeeper was busy again on ten minutes to keep out Harold Moukoudi's header.
The breakthrough came in the 12th minute. AEK broke quickly, the ball reached Aboubakary Koïta and he shifted it onto his left foot before beating Courtois from the centre of the box, with Luka Jović credited with the assist. Jović should have made it two five minutes later but shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Madrid's reply took time to arrive. Jude Bellingham was caught offside on 28 minutes, and the visitors struggled to find rhythm against a compact Greek block. He found another route four minutes later, meeting Marc Cucurella's cross in the middle of the box and back-heeling it across the face of goal and inside the far corner. It was pure improvisation, and at 23 years and 128 days it made him the youngest player to score in seven successive Champions League seasons.
Level at the break, Madrid could not shake AEK loose. Vinícius Júnior and Bernardo Silva both missed from close range just before the interval.
AEK retook the lead with 15 minutes left through a move of their own making. Stavros Pilios blocked a Mbappé shot in his own area, then ran the length of the pitch to finish a fast break started by Koïta.
The lead lasted three minutes. Denzel Dumfries delivered from the right and Kylian Mbappé, arriving at the far post, converted from close range. Mbappé nearly won it himself on 86 minutes, only for Alberto Brignoli to save his right-footed effort, and Madrid's substitutes changed the game. Brahim Díaz, on for Cucurella, laid the ball back to Valverde, who drove it into the top right corner from outside the box.
"In the two critical moments, 1-0 and 2-1, we knew how to react, show personality, and chase the result," Mourinho said afterwards. Koïta, who had led AEK so well, was shown a red card after the final whistle as the home side's frustration spilled over.
What does the result mean in the table?
Real Madrid stay second on 12 points with four wins from four, behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference. It keeps a perfect record intact while showing how uneasy the champions look when they concede first. Madrid had already beaten RB Leipzig 4-1 and won the Clásico through an Mbappé double this season, but neither night required a rescue act of this kind.
AEK stay 29th on three points, having lost three of four, and the gap between their performances and their results is beginning to look expensive. The full Champions League table and coverage is updated after every matchday.
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