Valverde scores stoppage-time winner as Madrid avoid upset in Athens

Federico Valverde scored a superb stoppage-time winner as Real Madrid avoided an upset at AEK Athens to maintain their 100% record in this season’s Champions League. The visitors trailed with 15 minutes to go, but Kylian Mbappe levelled before Valverde thundered in a long-range strike to seal the three points. The 15-time European champions arrived in Greece looking to make it four wins from four in the league phase, but fell behind early when Aboubakary Koita drove in a powerful finish. Jude Bellingham produced an outrageous bit of skill to put Real Madrid ahead in the 32nd minute, back-heeling a ball across the face of goal into the net. That goal meant that at 23 years and 128 days he became the youngest player to score in seven successive Champions League seasons, surpassing teammate Mbappe. But AEK Athens kept plugging away for a second goal, and it arrived 15 minutes later. Stavros Pilios first made a goal-saving block to deny Mbappe, then raced up the length of the pitch to finish off an attack with a near-post finish. That looked set to give AEK Athens a famous win, but Mbappe levelled three minutes later from Denzel Dumfries’ ball, before Valverde’s dramatic late strike completed Real Madrid’s comeback win. Koita was sent off for AEK Athens after the final whistle as the hosts’ frustrations at the result bubbled over.