AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid: Los Blancos create Champions League history courtesy of Federico Valverde stunner in Athens

By Matt Law | 04 Nov 2026 20:20, Last updated: 04 Nov 2026 20:22

Real Madrid created a unsocial portion of Champions League past successful Wednesday's 3-2 triumph implicit AEK Athens successful the league signifier of the tournament.

Los Blancos doubly needed to travel from down to level the scores successful Athens, with Jude Bellingham making it 1-1 successful the 32nd infinitesimal earlier Kylian Mbappe levelled it astatine 2-2 successful the 78th minute, and it did look that the points would beryllium shared.

However, Federico Valverde had different ideas, coming up with a stunning extremity successful the 92nd infinitesimal to unafraid a invaluable 3 points for the superior giants.

Real Madrid person present scored 49 Champions League goals successful stoppage time, which is the astir successful the past of the competition.

"It was a precise pugnacious and analyzable match, conscionable arsenic we expected. I deliberation we imposed our control, but we had trouble successful creating chances. I'd similar to congratulate the squad connected their efforts and hard work; let's proceed moving successful this manner," Valverde told reporters pursuing the triumph successful the league signifier of the tournament.

Federico Valverde with a STUNNER successful stoppage clip to get Real Madrid into the pb against AEK Athens ? ? Stream present connected TNT Sports & HBO Max https://t.co/fRCRh6tXYB https://t.co/m53BZhiBxf

Valverde deed precocious victor successful European occurrence for Real Madrid

Real Madrid stay cleanable successful the league signifier of this season's Champions League, with Jose Mourinho's broadside claiming 12 points from 4 matches.

Los Blancos caput manager Mourinho was afloat of praise for his team's performance.

"People often thin to accidental that the stronger squad didn't commencement the lucifer well, but to beryllium honest, I felt that the squad was fantastic," Mourinho told reporters.

"They delivered a show that exceeded their accustomed capabilities, and they showed their champion levels with precocious strength from the precise archetypal minute, whether successful winning duels, competing for balls, oregon executing attacking transitions."

Real Madrid person a 100% grounds successful the 2026-27 Champions League

When asked astir Valverde, Mourinho added: "Fede has that ability. When helium plays astatine right-back, it's hard for him to get into that benignant of position.

"Today I didn't inquire him to shoot, I told him the lucifer was complicated. He was acceptable to play astatine precocious speed, some teams were tired, and a caller subordinate similar Fede has the quality to run. I asked him to get into space."

Real Madrid person present posted 7 consecutive wins successful each competitions, and they volition beryllium bidding to marque it 8 successful a enactment erstwhile they proceed their La Liga run against Valencia connected Saturday.