Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the UEFA Champions League campaign on Wednesday evening by securing a dramatic 3-2 victory over AEK Athens at the AEK Arena in Greece. Federico Valverde proved to be the decisive figure, lashing home a thunderous strike from distance in the ninety-second minute to settle a pulsating five-goal encounter.
The Spanish giants found themselves trailing on two separate occasions during a fiercely contested European fixture before showing their customary resilience. Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also etched their names onto the scoresheet for the visitors, while Jose Mourinho's side extended their winning streak across all competitions to seven matches.
AEK Athens began the match with notable intensity, asking serious questions of the visiting defence and capitalising on a sluggish start from the Spanish visitors. The Greek hosts managed to break the deadlock and repeatedly disrupted Real Madrid's rhythm during a frantic opening period marked by tactical shifts and high-tempo exchanges.
Real Madrid responded through a moment of exquisite individual brilliance from Bellingham. The England midfielder leveled the scoreline in the first half with a sublime backheel that beat the goalkeeper and injected fresh momentum into the visiting side before heading into the interval.
Following the restart, the hosts regained the initiative and pushed ahead once more, forcing the visitors to chase the game for a second time. Mourinho turned to his bench in search of inspiration, introducing tactical changes and fresh legs just past the hour mark to alter the dynamic of the contest.
The changes bore fruit as Mbappe found the target to drag the Spanish visitors level at two goals apiece. The French forward converted following determined build-up play, ensuring the scoreboard reflected Real Madrid's territorial dominance as the fixture entered its final stages.
With the match seemingly destined for a share of the spoils, Valverde intervened deep into stoppage time. Having entered the fray as a second-half substitute in place of Diomande in the sixty-seventh minute, the midfielder collected a loose ball at the edge of the penalty area and unleashed an unstoppable drive past goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli.
Following the conclusion of the match, Bellingham was awarded the official man-of-the-match prize for his commanding overall display and his spectacular opening goal. The result leaves the Spanish heavyweights sitting comfortably at the summit of their group with four wins from four matches.
Real Madrid will now turn their attention back to domestic commitments in La Liga before continuing their European journey later in the month. Mourinho's squad continues to demonstrate domestic and continental depth as the relentless autumn fixture schedule gathers further pace.
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