AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid: Valverde settles thriller with injury-time strike

UEFA Champions League,
League Stage – 4

AEK Athens FC
AEK

2
–

3

Full Time

Real Madrid
REA

Allwyn Arena

Maurizio Mariani

Aboubakary Koita 12′
Stavros Pilios 75′

Jude Bellingham 32′
Kylian Mbappé 78′
Federico Valverde 90+2′

Real Madrid avoided a massive Champions League upset as they came from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-2.

Aboubakary Koita gave AEK the lead just 12 minutes into an absorbing contest with a rasping left-footed strike, only for Jude Bellingham to level matters with a superb flicked finish.

Yet AEK appeared set for a famous result when Stavros Pilos fired through the legs of Thibaut Courtois 15 minutes from the end of normal time.

But Kylian Mbappe restored parity once more, and AEK hearts were broken in injury time when Federico Valverde fired a stunning strike into the far corner.

More to follow

The signs that this would not be an easy assignment for Madrid were there early on, with Courtois required to deny Mijat Gaćinović with his legs at the end of a well-worked fifth-minute counter-attack from the hosts.

Yet there was nothing Courtois could do to deny Koita after the Mauritania international jinked into the box before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top-right corner.

Courtois had to produce a smart stop to prevent Luka Jović doubling the lead by scoring against his former club, before Bellingham saw a leveller ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

However, Bellingham had his goal moments later, as he turned home Marc Cucurella’s low left-wing cross in impudent fashion with a sublime display of technique.

Cucurella then went close to putting Madrid in front, but found Alberto Brignoli equal to his effort. The hosts were grateful to the Italian for preserving parity five minutes into the second half as he kept out an awkward dipping strike from Eder Militao, before Mbappe was guilty of surprising profligacy as he fired narrowly wide to spurn a gilt-edged chance.

And Madrid were punished for failing to make their superiority count as Pilos, who minutes earlier had made a crucial block to deny Mbappe, capped another excellent AEK break by exchanging passes with Koita and firing under Courtois at the near post.

But the home fans were barely allowed the chance to dream of a momentous upset as Mbappe resumed normal service, Bellingham sending Dumfries free down the right side of the area to cross for the France star to tap in from point-blank range.

Brignoli performed heroics to tip a fierce Mbappe strike onto the crossbar, but he could do nothing to keep out Valverde’s swerving drive as Madrid made it four wins from four in the Champions League and claimed their seventh successive victory in all competitions.

The UEFA Champions League Table

Upcoming fixtures for AEK Athens FC and Real Madrid

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