Real Madrid produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat AEK Athens 3-2 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, November 4, with Federico Valverde scoring a stoppage-time winner after the Spanish giants had twice fallen behind.
Valverde's 92nd-minute strike completed the turnaround in Athens, extending Real Madrid's winning start in the Champions League league phase to four matches and keeping them firmly in contention for a top-eight finish.
The hosts threatened an upset early in the contest when Aboubakary Koita opened the scoring in the 12th minute, cutting inside Marc Cucurella before firing into the net to give AEK an unexpected advantage.
Real Madrid struggled to contain the Greek side's early attacking pressure, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also called into action to deny former Madrid striker Luka Jovic from extending the lead.
However, the visitors gradually took control and found their equaliser through Jude Bellingham in the 32nd minute. The England international produced an improvised backheel finish from Cucurella's low cross to make it 1-1 after an earlier effort had been ruled out for offside.
Madrid continued to threaten before the break, with Bernardo Silva coming close to putting the visitors ahead, but his headed attempt narrowly missed the target.
The Spanish side maintained their attacking pressure after the restart, with Eder Militao testing AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli from distance before Cucurella was denied by a goal-line intervention from Lazaros Rota.
Despite Madrid's growing dominance, AEK regained the lead in the 75th minute when Stavros Pilios finished from close range after Koita created the opportunity, leaving the visitors facing the prospect of dropping points.
Madrid responded almost immediately, with Kylian Mbappe restoring parity in the 78th minute after converting Denzel Dumfries' low delivery across the penalty area.
The French forward nearly completed the comeback four minutes from time, but his effort struck the crossbar after Brignoli had produced an important save to keep AEK in the contest.
With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Valverde delivered the decisive moment in the second minute of stoppage time.
The Uruguayan midfielder unleashed a powerful long-range strike from outside the penalty area, beating Brignoli to send the travelling Madrid supporters into celebration and complete a 3-2 victory.
Bellingham's contribution earned him the UEFA Player of the Match award, recognising his influence in Madrid's comeback. The England international not only scored the equaliser but also played a key role in the visitors' attacking efforts as they fought back twice to secure all three points.
The result extended Real Madrid's perfect Champions League record to four wins from four matches, taking their tally to 12 points and keeping them second in the league-phase standings behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference.
The victory also maintained Madrid's impressive run across competitions, with the club recording seven consecutive wins, further strengthening their position as they pursue domestic and European success under head coach Jose Mourinho.
Real Madrid will now shift their attention to La Liga, where they are scheduled to face Valencia on Saturday, November 7, before returning to Champions League action against PSV Eindhoven on November 24.
