Madrid: Real Madrid produced another thrilling UEFA Champions League comeback as Federico Valverde struck a stoppage-time winner to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over AEK Athens in Greece on Wednesday.
The Spanish giants appeared to be heading towards a disappointing result after twice falling behind, but late goals from Kylian Mbappé and Valverde turned the contest around and maintained Madrid’s perfect record in the competition.
AEK Athens made an impressive start and took the lead in the 12th minute through Aboubakary Koita. The forward capitalised on a well-weighted pass from former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic before driving a powerful low finish past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid responded through Jude Bellingham, who brought the visitors level in the 32nd minute with a superb backheel finish from close range. The England international had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Bellingham’s equaliser arrived after Marc Cucurella provided an excellent delivery into the penalty area, allowing the midfielder to produce a clever flick that left the AEK defence struggling to respond.
Madrid pushed for a second goal after the interval, with Mbappé and Cucurella both creating promising opportunities. However, AEK remained dangerous and regained the advantage with 15 minutes remaining.
Stavros Pilios became the home side’s hero when he collected Koita’s perfectly timed pass and fired the ball through Courtois’ legs, sending the home supporters into celebration.
Their advantage, however, lasted less than three minutes.
Mbappé restored parity after meeting Denzel Dumfries’ delivery across the goal, giving Madrid fresh momentum heading into the closing stages. The French forward came close to adding another goal, but AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli produced an excellent save to keep his side in contention.
Just when the match appeared destined for a draw, Valverde delivered the decisive moment. The Real Madrid captain found space outside the penalty area and unleashed a superb finish into the top corner in the second minute of stoppage time.
The late strike completed another remarkable European turnaround for Madrid, who had already demonstrated their fighting spirit in a dramatic 4-3 victory over Roma after recovering from a 3-1 deficit with seven minutes remaining.
Bellingham Creates Champions League History
The match was also a memorable occasion for Bellingham, who reached two significant milestones in the Champions League.
At 23 years and 128 days, the midfielder became the youngest player to make 60 appearances in the competition, surpassing the previous record held by former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who achieved the milestone at 23 years and 167 days in 2004.
Bellingham also became the youngest footballer to score in seven consecutive Champions League seasons, overtaking Kylian Mbappé, who had previously established the record at 23 years and 260 days during the 2022-23 campaign.
The evening ended on a sour note for AEK Athens, with Koita receiving a red card after protesting following the final whistle.
For Real Madrid, however, the night belonged to Valverde, whose last-gasp strike once again underlined the club’s remarkable ability to deliver when the pressure is at its highest.
