Real Madrid did it again. Los Blancos fell behind twice against AEK Athens on Wednesday night. Yet they still left Greece with a 3-2 win.
Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé hauled them level each time. Then substitute captain Federico Valverde smashed home a 92nd-minute winner from distance. The result keeps José Mourinho’s side perfect in the Champions League. That makes four wins from four.
A Nightmare Start in Greece
AEK made a bright start and struck first. Aboubakary Koita gave the hosts the lead in the 12th minute. The home crowd roared, and Madrid looked rattled. Bellingham (8.00) thought he had equalised just before the half-hour mark. However, a review ruled the goal out for offside. The England international did not have to wait long for another chance.
In the 32nd minute, Marc Cucurella (9.40) fizzed a cross through the box. Bellingham met it with a clever backheel to make it 1-1. It was a moment of pure skill, and it gave Madrid fresh belief.
“It was instinct and a bit of quality,” Bellingham told RMTV afterwards. “It was a great pass from Marc.” That goal set the tone for his evening. He later collected the Man of the Match award for his efforts. Still, he knew the job was far from done.
“A very difficult match,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to win this, coming from behind twice.”
AEK Strike Again, Mbappé Answers
Madrid pushed for a second goal after the break, but AEK stood firm. Then the hosts struck again against the run of play. With 15 minutes of normal time left, Koita turned provider. He slipped a pass through to Stavros Pilios. Pilios ran on and fired through Thibaut Courtois’s legs. Suddenly, AEK led 2-1 again.
Valverde admitted the second goal hit hard. “After they scored their second goal, it looked like we were going to struggle,” he said. Madrid’s response, though, was swift. Less than three minutes later, Denzel Dumfries drove a low ball across goal. Mbappé was waiting and made no mistake. It was 2-2.
That strike extended a superb run for the French forward. Mbappé has now scored in each of his last six Champions League matches. Few players in Europe can match that kind of form right now.
Valverde Delivers the Knockout Blow
Mourinho had sent Valverde on in the 67th minute. The Uruguayan needed just 25 minutes to decide the contest.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Madrid won the ball back. Brahim Díaz laid it off to Valverde outside the box. The captain took one touch and let fly. His shot rocketed past goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli and into the net. Bellingham was quick to praise his teammate. “Much better than mine,” he said. “It’s no surprise that Fede shoots like that.”
The goal felt even sweeter given Valverde’s recent fitness worries. He felt strong pain in his right hamstring during the 2-1 Clásico win at Camp Nou. That happened in the 23rd minute. Mourinho later revealed Valverde played more than 40 minutes injured. In Athens, he started on the bench yet still had the final say.
Valverde gave credit to those around him. “I’m grateful to my teammates, who give me the confidence to take the shot,” he said. There was late drama too. Koita, AEK’s opening scorer, saw red at 90+5, after the final whistle. He had kept protesting to the referee despite repeated warnings.
A Record No Other Club Can Match
Valverde’s winner was worth more than three points. It also added to a remarkable piece of history.
According to LaLigaenDirecto, Madrid have now scored 49 goals in the 90th minute or later. That covers European Cup and Champions League history, and no club has more. The figure does not even include goals scored in extra time.
Late drama runs deep at this club. Sergio Ramos equalised in stoppage time against Atlético Madrid in the 2014 final. Rodrygo’s late double stunned Manchester City (8.06) in the 2022 semi-finals. Both moments paved the way for trophies. This season has followed the same script. At Roma, Madrid (7.98) trailed 3-1 before scoring three goals in the last 10 minutes. They won that game 4-3.
So what drives these comebacks? Valverde pointed to the bench and the dressing room. “The coaching staff trust us and always give us that boost,” he said. “The team never stops trying.” The win in Athens was also Madrid’s seventh in a row under Mourinho.
Mourinho’s Target Already Reached
The numbers make for happy reading in the Spanish capital. Madrid beat Inter 2-1 and RB Leipzig (150.51) 4-1 at home. They then won 4-3 in Rome and 3-2 in Athens. Their 12 points already hit Mourinho’s qualification target. Before the campaign, he set a mark of 11 to 12 points. The next aim is a top-eight finish, which avoids the knockout play-off round.
Interestingly, both away wins came after Madrid had fallen behind. In Athens, they had to respond on two separate occasions. That says a lot about the mood in this squad. Bellingham wants that mindset to stay. “Another comeback, but that’s the Real Madrid mentality,” he said. “It’s the mentality we need to maintain for the rest of the season.”
Madrid already own 15 European crowns. On this evidence, they are hungry for a 16th.
What’s Next for Real Madrid
Attention now turns back to LaLiga. Madrid visit Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday 7 November. Vinícius Júnior will miss that game. It is the final match of his four-game ban.
The RFEF Appeals Committee upheld the suspension on 16 October. Two games came for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair against Villarreal. The other two were for confronting the referee afterwards. As a result, Vinícius has already missed games against Sevilla, Barcelona and Racing.Bellingham is not worried about the trip. “We’re heading to Valencia raring to go,” he said. “The next match is the most important one.”
After the international break, Europe returns. Madrid host PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday 24 November at 9pm CET (10pm SAST). A trip to face Arsenal follows on Wednesday 9 December.
If Athens proved anything, it is this. Never write off Real Madrid until the final whistle.
