# Valverde’s late winner breaks AEK Athens hearts as Real Madrid twice come from behind

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/valverdes-late-winner-breaks-aek-athens-hearts-as-real-madrid-twice-come-from-behind/
- Published: 2026-11-04T20:04:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T20:25:12+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/nov/04/champions-league-roundup-aek-athens-real-madrid-borussia-dortmund-napoli
- Topics: Sport

## Key points

- Valverde scored in stoppage time to secure a 3-2 win.
- Real Madrid came from behind twice against AEK.
- Madrid maintained their perfect group-phase record.

## Summary

Real Madrid beat AEK Athens 3-2 in the Champions League after twice coming from behind, with Federico Valverde scoring a long-range winner in the 92nd minute. The victory preserved Madrid’s perfect start in the group phase and extended their run to seven consecutive wins in all competitions.

Aboubakary Koïta put AEK ahead after 12 minutes, but Jude Bellingham equalised with a flicked finish. Stavros Pilios restored AEK’s lead in the 75th minute before Kylian Mbappé levelled almost immediately; Valverde then settled the match late. Mbappé’s goal was his fourth in four Champions League games this season and his 16th across all competitions.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.