Valverde's late thunderbolt keeps Real Madrid perfect at AEK Athens

A finish worthy of the fight

Federico Valverde stood over the ball outside the penalty area in the second minute of stoppage time, and Real Madrid's perfect start to the UEFA Champions League hung on what happened next. The captain, on as a substitute, took one touch and struck a fierce shot from around 25 yards that flew past AEK Athens goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli and into the net. It was the 92nd minute, it was Valverde's moment, and it completed a 3-2 comeback win that had looked beyond Real Madrid twice on a tense Wednesday night in Athens on 5 November.

Madrid had already shown this season that they do not accept defeat easily, but this was a sterner test than the scoreline alone suggests. AEK Athens, the Greek champions, led twice, defended with discipline, and forced the record 15-time winners to find something special. In the end, one player produced it, just as Jose Mourinho said afterwards. "The team with more individual quality won, where one player produced that fantastic goal," the Real Madrid coach said.

Twice behind in Athens

AEK made the brighter start and struck first after 12 minutes. Aboubakary Koita cut inside onto his left foot and fired a powerful effort past Thibaut Courtois at the near post, catching the Madrid goalkeeper by surprise and lifting the home crowd. It was a confident, precise finish, and it set the tone for an evening in which the hosts refused to sit back and admire their opponents.

Madrid thought they had an answer soon after, when Jude Bellingham turned in a delivery from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The England midfielder did not have to wait long for a legitimate equaliser, though. In the 32nd minute, Marc Cucurella fizzed a low cross through the penalty area and Bellingham met it with a deft backheel flick that beat Brignoli and made it 1-1. It was a finish of real imagination, and it came on Bellingham's 60th appearance in the UEFA Champions League.

Courtois had already kept Madrid in the contest, denying Luka Jovic before the equaliser, and the second half followed a similar pattern. AEK stayed organised, waited for their moment, and struck again with 15 minutes of normal time left. Koita, impressive all evening, drove forward and slipped a pass into the path of Stavros Pilios, who finished through Courtois's legs from close range to restore the home side's lead at 2-1. Athens believed again, and Madrid were chasing the game for a second time.

Bellingham and Mbappe answer again

Madrid's response was immediate, and it was ruthless. Within three minutes of falling behind for the second time, Bellingham played Denzel Dumfries in down the right, and the defender rolled a low ball across the six-yard box. Kylian Mbappe was waiting at the far post to convert it, levelling the score at 2-2 in the 78th minute and scoring in a sixth consecutive UEFA Champions League appearance.

The goal changed the mood of the closing stages. Madrid pushed forward in search of a winner, and Mbappe came close to providing one himself with five minutes remaining, only for Brignoli to produce a sensational save, tipping his strike against the crossbar after Endrick had sent the France forward through on goal. AEK, to their credit, held their shape and continued to threaten on the break, but the momentum had shifted, and the visitors sensed that one more chance would come.

Valverde decides it

That chance arrived in stoppage time, and Valverde took it without hesitation. Brought on in the 67th minute, the Uruguay midfielder had waited patiently for his moment, and when Brahim Diaz laid the ball off to him outside the area, he needed only one touch before shooting. The strike was hit with power and precision, finding the corner beyond Brignoli and sparking celebrations among the travelling support. It was a goal worthy of winning any match, and it kept Madrid's record in this season's league phase perfect at four wins from four.

There was one final twist after the whistle. Koita, AEK's opening scorer, was sent off for dissent after the game, a sour ending to a fine personal performance. For AEK, though, there was plenty to take from the night despite the defeat. They had led the 15-time European champions twice, tested Courtois, and pushed Mourinho's side to the final seconds. Few teams will leave Athens with anything this season if the hosts repeat that level of performance.

What the win means

The victory keeps Real Madrid second in the league-phase standings on 12 points, behind Paris Saint-Germain only on goal difference, with both sides still perfect after four matches. Arsenal sit third on 10 points, and the race for the automatic places in the round of 16 is already taking shape. For Madrid, the value of the win goes beyond the points. Twice behind away from home, twice level within minutes, and then a winner in stoppage time: that is the kind of evening that builds belief inside a squad.

Mourinho put it simply after the match. "In the two critical moments, 1-0 and 2-1, we knew how to react, show personality, and chase the result," he said. AEK will feel the defeat harshly, because for long spells they matched Madrid and, at 2-1, they were 15 minutes from a famous win. But champions find a way, and on this night in Athens, Federico Valverde found it for Real Madrid.