Valverde scores late winner as Real Madrid beat AEK Athens 3-2 after twice trailing

A goal down, then level, then ahead twice

Real Madrid won their fourth Champions League match of the season on Wednesday, 4 November, beating AEK Athens 3-2 in Athens. Koita gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute, getting past Cucurella and beating Thibaut Courtois with a left-footed shot. Jude Bellingham levelled with a backheel from a Cucurella cross, but Pilios put AEK back in front in the second half. Kylian Mbappé equalised in the 77th minute, and Fede Valverde's shot in added time, placed in the 92nd or 93rd minute depending on the report, decided the match.

Five changes and a return from injury

José Mourinho made five changes to his line-up: Dumfries, Rüdiger, Militao, Camavinga and Vinícius came in. Militao returned to the starting eleven 197 days after the 21 April match against Alavés, when he tore a tendon in his left thigh. Tchouaméni and Arda Güler did not travel to Athens, and Güler followed the game on television from Madrid. Vinícius, still working back from injury, looked far from his usual self and struggled to find rhythm after a long gap in competitive matches. He is suspended in LaLiga, so he cannot play the Saturday match at Mestalla.

AEK's energy and the Madrid response

AEK, coached by Marko Nikolić, pressed high and used quick transitions to unsettle Madrid in the opening half hour. Luka Jović, a former Madrid forward, caused problems with his movement and created the first chance for Majer's cross to be finished by Gacinovic. Courtois made a number of saves, and ABC counted his 20th of the competition so far. Madrid improved after Bellingham's equaliser, but they could not turn territory into goals in the second half, and the game turned chaotic. Mbappé's finish from a Dumfries cross came two minutes after he entered the penalty area, and Valverde completed the turnaround in added time.

Minute of silence and the sending-off

Before kick-off, a minute of silence was held for Jesús de Miguel and the victims of the Urda train accident. Koita was sent off after the final whistle for protesting. The result left Madrid on four wins from four in the Champions League, with the group stage still to play out.

What comes next

Mourinho is chasing points to avoid the playoff round and secure a place in the top eight. The next Champions League fixture is on 21 November, and the Saturday LaLiga match at Mestalla comes without Vinícius.