Valverde strike snatches Real Madrid late win at AEK Athens

Federico Valverde lashed home a stunning effort from distance to snatch Real Madrid a late 3-2 victory at AEK Athens on Wednesday in the Champions League and preserve their 100 percent start. Jose Mourinho’s side twice came from behind against the Greek champions before Valverde claimed all three points for his side, level with holders Paris Saint-Germain on four wins from four league phase games.

Aboubakary Koita sent AEK ahead after 12 minutes and Jude Bellingham equalised with a sublime flick for the record 15-time winners. Stavros Pilios sent the Greek champions ahead with 15 minutes to go but Kylian Mbappe swiftly pulled Madrid level once again, setting the stage for Valverde’s late winner. “Fede has that capability… (but) I didn’t ask him to shoot,” Mourinho told Movistar about his match-winner, who came on in the second half.

“I told him was that the game was wide open, it was being played at great speed… a fresh player like Fede, with his ability to cover a lot of ground, I told him to attack the space and arrive in the dangerous areas.” Madrid have now won seven straight games across all competitions. “We fought for (the victory), and with the score at 2–2 we didn’t settle,” added Mourinho.

“It would always be an acceptable result, we’d be on 10 points, but we wanted more.” Mourinho started with Vinicius Junior on the left flank, after he missed the team’s previous two matches through suspension, in La Liga. The hosts started with huge energy at the Agia Sophia stadium and it was not overly surprising when they took an early lead. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved well from former Los Blancos striker Luka Jovic before Koita sent AEK ahead.

The Mauritanian winger shifted cleverly inside Marc Cucurella and thumped home at the near post, catching out Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper saved again from Jovic as AEK tried to make their strong start count. However they inevitably began to tire and Madrid began to take the reins in the Greek capital. Kylian Mbappe fired over and Bellingham netted from close range but was shown to be offside.

Moments later the England international scored again and nobody could deny him this one. Cucurella fired in a low cross and Bellingham produced a brilliant flicked finish to beat goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli. Former Chelsea defender Cucurella tested Brignoli and Bernardo Silva nodded off-target before the interval as Mourinho’s team controlled the game.

Brignoli pushed away Eder Militao’s long-range effort early in the second half and Lazaros Rota blocked superbly to deny the heavily-involved Cucurella. – Another fightback – Mbappe bent a shot narrowly wide of the top corner with Italian stopper Brignoli at full stretch. The France forward was frustrated by the AEK defence when Vinicius turned sharply and found him with a high pass, but the striker’s shot was blocked.

AEK reclaimed the lead in the 75th minute when the impressive Koita gently nudged the ball into Pilios’s path and the Albania international finished through Courtois’s legs from close range. Madrid immediately responded with Bellingham playing Denzel Dumfries in down the right. The Netherlands defender rolled a low ball across the six-yard box and this time Mbappe was able to finish.

It was Mbappe’s fourth goal in four Champions League games this season, netting once in each, and his 16th across all competitions. Madrid substitute Endrick sent Mbappe through on goal with five minutes remaining but Brignoli produced a sensational save to tip his strike against the crossbar. Valverde refused to give up on the three points and in the 92nd minute he lashed home across Brignoli to keep Madrid perfect.

Koita, who had been substituted, was sent off after the game for apparent dissent. Valverde thanked his team-mates for backing him when he gets the chance to shoot. “Sometimes I overthink it, and well, as I always say, I’m grateful to the players, to my teammates, because they’re the ones who give me the confidence so that, in those moments, I can make that decision and have the courage to hit it,” he said.