Valverde 92nd Minute Winner Seals Real Madrid 3-2 Comeback Win at AEK Athens

Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens ended in a dramatic late win for Real Madrid on Wednesday night in Athens, as a Federico Valverde winner in the 92nd minute completed a comeback from two deficits in the Champions League. Real Madrid trailed twice at the ALLWYN Arena, levelled twice through Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, and then won the match in stoppage time when Valverde struck from distance. The result kept Real Madrid perfect in the Champions League league phase, with four wins from four matches and 12 points, and it extended a run of seven straight wins in all competitions for the side of Jose Mourinho.

The night also produced a piece of Champions League history for Real Madrid. The club has now scored 49 goals in stoppage time in the Champions League, which is the most by any club in the history of the competition. The record fits the pattern of the evening in Athens, because Real Madrid needed late goals twice, first to level at 2-2 with 12 minutes left, and then to win the match in the second minute of stoppage time. AEK Athens, by contrast, saw a seven match winning home run in all competitions come to an end, and the home side stayed on three points from four Champions League matches.

Kick off was at 17:45 GMT on Wednesday 4 November, in Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase, at the ALLWYN Arena in Athens, also known as the Agia Sophia Stadium and as the AEK Arena in UEFA competitions. Real Madrid arrived with nine points from three matches, while AEK Athens arrived with three points from three matches. The gap in the table did not decide the match, because AEK Athens led twice, created the better big chances, and pushed Real Madrid until the final seconds. The sections below follow the goals, the record set by Bellingham, the scoring run extended by Mbappe, the double lead built by AEK Athens, and what the result means for the table and for the trip to Valencia.

Federico Valverde 92nd Minute Winner Completes Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens Comeback

Federico Valverde scored the winner for Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens in the 92nd minute, with a fierce strike from 25 yards that flew into the top right corner. Valverde started the match on the bench and entered the match in the 67th minute, replacing Yan Diomande. Brahim Diaz supplied the pass for the winner, and Valverde was given too much space on the edge of the area before letting fly from distance. The strike settled a match that had looked certain to end in a draw after Mbappe hit the crossbar in the closing minutes, and it gave Real Madrid a fourth straight Champions League win.

Valverde scored with his only shot of the match, and he also created three chances after coming on, which was the highest number created by any Real Madrid player in the match. The impact underlined the value of a substitute with fresh legs in a match where both teams were tired in the final minutes, and where space opened up as AEK Athens pushed forward and Real Madrid pushed for a winner. Mourinho had asked Valverde to get into space and to run at high speed after coming on, and the winner came from exactly that kind of movement into a shooting position outside the penalty area.

After the match, Valverde described a very tough and complicated match, in the form reported by Sports Mole, and said Real Madrid imposed control but had difficulty creating chances. Valverde also congratulated the team on the effort and hard work shown in Athens, and called for the same work to continue in the matches ahead. The words matched the shape of the match, because Real Madrid controlled long spells of possession without turning control into clear chances until the final 15 minutes, when the match opened up and produced three goals.

The comeback also followed a familiar pattern for Real Madrid in this Champions League campaign. Real Madrid had trailed Roma 3-1 in the 82nd minute on Matchday 2 before winning 4-3, and the win in Athens was a second late comeback in an away match in the same campaign. Real Madrid became only the second team to score a 90th minute winner in multiple away games in a single Champions League campaign, after Atletico Madrid in the 2021-22 season. The pattern is now part of the identity of this Real Madrid side under Mourinho, and it gives the team belief in any match that stays level into the final minutes.

Jude Bellingham Backheel Goal Sets Champions League Age Record at 60 Appearances

Jude Bellingham scored the first equaliser for Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens in the 32nd minute, with a brilliant flick from a low cross by Marc Cucurella. Bellingham sent the ball into the bottom right corner with a backheel finish, after Cucurella delivered from the left, and the goal levelled the score at 1-1. Bellingham had seen a goal disallowed just before the half hour mark, but the second finish counted, and it marked a landmark night for the England midfielder in the best possible way.

The appearance was the 60th Champions League appearance of the career of Bellingham, and it made Bellingham the youngest player ever to reach 60 appearances in the competition, at 23 years and 128 days old. Bellingham overtook Iker Casillas, who reached 60 appearances at 23 years and 167 days old. Bellingham was also the youngest player to reach 50 appearances in the competition, and the record at 60 appearances underlines how early Bellingham started in Europe and how consistently Bellingham has been selected since. Bellingham was named player of the match for the performance in Athens, after a goal, constant movement between midfield and attack, and a decisive contribution in the biggest moments.

The goal was the 10th Champions League goal of the career of Bellingham, which made Bellingham the second midfielder to reach 10 Champions League goals for Real Madrid, after Guti, who scored 16. Bellingham also became the youngest player to score in seven consecutive seasons of the Champions League, at 23 years and 128 days old. After the match, Bellingham described the finish as instinct, in the form reported by Sports Mole and the Associated Press roundup, and said Bellingham found a good position and did the only thing that came naturally in that position. The description fits the finish, because the flick was hit first time, with no time to control the ball, and it beat Alberto Brignoli before the goalkeeper could set himself.

Kylian Mbappe Equaliser Extends Scoring Run to Six Champions League Matches

Kylian Mbappe scored the second equaliser in Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens in the 78th minute, only three minutes after AEK Athens had taken the lead for the second time. Mbappe arrived at the far post to tap home a centre from Denzel Dumfries, and the goal levelled the score at 2-2. The finish was simple, but the movement was sharp, because Mbappe stayed onside, timed the run to the far post, and met the ball first time from close range.

The goal extended the scoring run of Mbappe in the Champions League to six straight matches, and it took the season tally of Mbappe to 16 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions. Mbappe also reached 100 goal involvements in the Champions League with the goal, with 74 goals and 26 assists in 102 appearances in the competition. Mbappe became only the fifth player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Champions League, and only Lionel Messi reached the milestone in fewer appearances, with 101 appearances. The numbers show the scale of the contribution of Mbappe in Europe, and the equaliser in Athens was the latest example of Mbappe scoring when Real Madrid needed a goal most.

Mbappe almost won the match before Valverde did, when Endrick sent Mbappe through with a trivela pass in the closing minutes, and Brignoli tipped the shot onto the crossbar. The chance came after a spell of sustained Real Madrid pressure in the second half, in which Lazaros Rota blocked a Cucurella shot inside the six yard box after a Mbappe cross, and Stavros Pilios slid in to turn away a low Mbappe drive. Mbappe had also curled an effort inches wide from the edge of the area just after the hour mark, and had forced Brignoli into a save from a similar distance moments later. The pressure finally told in stoppage time, when Valverde found the space that Mbappe had helped to create.

Vinicius Junior Starts Again as AEK Athens Take the Lead Twice in Athens

Vinicius Junior started for Real Madrid in Athens, after missing three LaLiga matches through suspension, because the domestic ban did not apply in Europe. Vinicius Junior led the Real Madrid attack alongside Mbappe and Yan Diomande, with Bellingham in support, in a starting line up that also included the return of Eder Militao in defence. Vinicius Junior found it hard to make a mark on the match, with three shots and none on target, and with one attempted dribble that was not completed. The numbers tell only part of the story, because Vinicius Junior kept AEK Athens defenders occupied on the left, and the space created by that threat helped Real Madrid in the final minutes.

AEK Athens started the match with confidence and created the first big opening, when Lovro Majer cut the ball back for Mijat Gacinovic, whose low left footed strike was saved by the feet of Thibaut Courtois. Luka Jovic, the former Real Madrid striker, then forced Courtois into another save with a low drive, before Mbappe fired over the bar from a Diomande cutback in the first clear chance for Real Madrid. The early pattern showed that AEK Athens were not overawed by the visit of the 15 time European champions, and that Real Madrid would need patience to break down a compact home defence.

Aboubakary Koita gave AEK Athens the lead in the 12th minute, when Koita shifted quickly onto the left foot, got past Marc Cucurella, and lashed the ball in at the near post past Courtois. The goal rewarded the early pressure from AEK Athens, and it put Real Madrid behind for the first time in the match. Bellingham levelled in the 32nd minute, but AEK Athens refused to fold, defended with discipline through the second half, and took the lead again in the 75th minute, when Stavros Pilios finished through the legs of Courtois after an underlapping run into the box, meeting a pull back from Koita. Pilios had also scored against Manchester City on Matchday 3, and the second lead for AEK Athens lasted only three minutes before Mbappe levelled again.

The evening ended badly for Koita, who was shown a late red card for dissent after the Valverde winner, which compounded the misery for AEK Athens after a match that had promised so much for so long. The match statistics also showed the balance of the contest, with Real Madrid ahead on expected goals by 3.35 to 0.87, while AEK Athens created more Opta defined big chances, by three to two. The figures explain why the match stayed level for so long, and why the winner needed a moment of quality from Valverde in stoppage time.

Jose Mourinho Praise for Real Madrid Spirit After Tough Night in Athens

Jose Mourinho praised the performance of Real Madrid after Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens, and described a team that was fantastic from the first minute. Mourinho said the team exceeded usual capabilities, showed high intensity from the very first minute, and delivered in winning duels, competing for balls, and executing attacking transitions. Mourinho also said the team imposed control but had difficulty creating chances, which matched the long spell in the first half and early in the second half when Real Madrid had the ball without finding a way through the AEK Athens defence.

On Valverde, Mourinho pointed to the ability of Valverde to get into shooting positions, and said Valverde had been asked to get into space after coming on. Mourinho said Valverde was ready to play at high speed, that both teams were tired, and that a new player with the running power of Valverde could make the difference in the final minutes. Mourinho also told broadcaster Movistar, in the form reported by the Associated Press roundup, that Mourinho prefers to win more comfortably, but that late wins of this kind belong only to Real Madrid, because the players have courage and believe the win is possible. Mourinho added that Mourinho is very lucky to have players of such quality, and that the belief in the group comes from doing the same thing together, again and again, in the final minutes.

Arda Guler was rested for the match and did not feature, which made the contribution of the substitutes even more important, and which left Real Madrid without one of the creative players who had shaped recent wins. The bench still gave Mourinho options, with Valverde, Brahim Diaz, Endrick, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all available, and the three substitutes involved in the winner showed the depth of the squad. Eder Militao returned to the starting line up in defence, and the return gave Real Madrid experience at the back on a night when AEK Athens attacked with direct running and early balls into the penalty area.

What Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens Means for the Champions League Table and the Valencia Trip

Real Madrid 3-2 AEK Athens kept Real Madrid on maximum points in the Champions League league phase, with 12 points from four matches, four wins, 13 goals scored, and seven goals conceded. AEK Athens stayed on three points from four matches, with one win, three defeats, five goals scored, and 11 goals conceded, in 30th place in the 36 team league phase. The table below shows the position of the two clubs after Matchday 4, and it shows how much work AEK Athens still have to do to reach the play off places, with four matches left in the league phase.

Team	Matches Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals For	Goals Against	Points
Real Madrid	4	4	0	0	13	7	12
AEK Athens	4	1	0	3	5	11	3

The focus for Real Madrid now turns back to LaLiga, with a trip to Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, where Real Madrid will bid for an eighth straight win in all competitions. Real Madrid sit third in LaLiga with 27 points from 11 matches, behind Barcelona with 30 points and Atletico Madrid with 28 points. Barcelona visit Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano on Sunday, in the biggest LaLiga match of the season so far, and Barcelona will be without Rodri, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury. A Real Madrid win at Valencia would keep the pressure on both clubs at the top, and would carry the momentum from Athens into the international break.

For AEK Athens, the defeat was painful because the home side led twice, created the better big chances, and still left with no points. The seven match winning home run is over, and the next Champions League matches will decide whether AEK Athens can climb back into the play off places. The performance in Athens showed that AEK Athens can trouble the strongest clubs in Europe on a home night, but the result showed that troubling Real Madrid is not enough. Real Madrid found a winner in stoppage time, as Real Madrid have done so often in this competition, and the record of 49 stoppage time goals in Champions League history grew by one more on a dramatic night in Athens.

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