Valverde’s stoppage-time strike completes Real Madrid comeback at AEK for 12 points from 12
Valverde’s stoppage-time strike completes Real Madrid comeback at AEK for 12 points from 12
Substitute captain Federico Valverde struck in stoppage time as Real Madrid twice came from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-2. The win keeps Mourinho’s side perfect in the league phase and takes them past his qualification target, days before a trip to Valencia without Vinícius.
Federico Valverde came off the bench in Athens and settled a match Real Madrid had trailed twice. The captain’s long-range strike arrived in the second minute of stoppage time. It completed another away comeback in this Champions League campaign. Mourinho’s side remain perfect after four matchdays.
AEK struck first. Koita put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute. Bellingham had a goal ruled out for offside after a review just before the half-hour. He did not have to wait long. In the 32nd minute he equalised with a backheel from Cucurella’s cross.
AEK went ahead again with 15 minutes of normal time left. Stavros Pilios ran onto a pass from Koita and shot through Courtois’s legs. Madrid answered in less than three minutes. Denzel Dumfries played a low ball across goal and Mbappé made it 2-2.
The night ended badly for Koita. AEK’s opening scorer was sent off at 90+5, after the final whistle. He had kept protesting to the referee despite repeated warnings.
Valverde decides the game after a hamstring scare
The winner carried extra weight given Valverde’s recent fitness. He felt strong discomfort in his right hamstring in the 23rd minute of the 2-1 Clásico win at Camp Nou. Mourinho said afterwards that Valverde had played more than 40 minutes injured. In Athens he started on the bench, yet still had the final say.
Madrid’s European record now reads four wins from four. They beat Inter 2-1 at home, came back to win 4-3 at Roma and beat Leipzig 4-1 at home before this trip. Their tally of 12 points takes them past the 11–12 point mark Mourinho set as the target for qualification. The next aim is a top-eight finish.
The pattern is notable. Both the Roma and AEK wins came after Madrid had fallen behind away from home. In Athens they had to respond on two separate occasions.
Madrid head to Mestalla still without the suspended Vinícius
Attention now turns to LaLiga, where Madrid remain without Vinícius. On 16 October, the RFEF Appeals Committee rejected the club’s appeal and upheld his ban. Two games were for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair against Villarreal. The other two were for confronting the referee afterwards.
The suspension covered the league games against Sevilla, Barcelona and Racing. The last of the four matches is at Valencia’s Mestalla on 7 November, three days after the win in Athens.
Europe then returns. Madrid host PSV on Tuesday 24 November at 9pm CET. They then travel to Arsenal on Wednesday 9 December.
Sources
- A thunderous strike from Valverde seals the comeback in Athens (Real Madrid)
- 2026/27 Champions League: All the league phase fixtures and results (UEFA)
- AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid (Nov 4, 2026) Game Analysis (ESPN)
- Mourinho desvela su mensaje a Fede Valverde y pone nota al partido de Vinícius (ElDesmarque)
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.