AEK Athens 2-3 Actual Madrid: Valverde settles thriller with injury-time strike

UEFA Champions League,
League Stage – 4

AEK Athens FC
AEK

Actual Madrid
REA

Allwyn Area

Maurizio Mariani

Aboubakary Koita 12′
Stavros Pilios 75′

Jude Bellingham 32′
Kylian Mbappé 78′
Federico Valverde 90+2′

Actual Madrid averted an enormous Champions League upset as they got here from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-2.

Aboubakary Koita gave AEK the lead simply 12 minutes into an absorbing contest with a rasping left-footed strike, just for Jude Bellingham to degree issues with an outstanding flicked end.

But AEK appeared set for a well-known consequence when Stavros Pilos fired by way of the legs of Thibaut Courtois quarter-hour from the tip of regular time.

However Kylian Mbappe restored parity as soon as extra, and AEK hearts had been damaged in harm time when Federico Valverde fired a surprising strike into the far nook.

Extra to observe

The indicators that this might not be a simple task for Madrid had been there early on, with Courtois required to disclaim Mijat Gaćinović along with his legs on the finish of a well-worked fifth-minute counter-attack from the hosts.

But there was nothing Courtois might do to disclaim Koita after the Mauritania worldwide jinked into the field earlier than unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top-right nook.

Courtois needed to produce a wise cease to stop Luka Jović doubling the lead by scoring in opposition to his former membership, earlier than Bellingham noticed a leveller dominated out for offside following a VAR test.

Nonetheless, Bellingham had his purpose moments later, as he turned residence Marc Cucurella’s low left-wing cross in impudent vogue with a chic show of approach.

Cucurella then went near placing Madrid in entrance, however discovered Alberto Brignoli equal to his effort. The hosts had been grateful to the Italian for preserving parity 5 minutes into the second half as he saved out an ungainly dipping strike from Eder Militao, earlier than Mbappe was responsible of peculiar profligacy as he fired narrowly huge to spurn a gilt-edged probability.

And Madrid had been punished for failing to make their superiority depend as Pilos, who minutes earlier had made a vital block to disclaim Mbappe, capped one other wonderful AEK break by exchanging passes with Koita and firing beneath Courtois on the close to put up.

However the residence followers had been barely allowed the prospect to dream of a momentous upset as Mbappe resumed regular service, Bellingham sending Dumfries free down the best facet of the realm to cross for the France star to faucet in from point-blank vary.

Brignoli carried out heroics to tip a fierce Mbappe strike onto the crossbar, however he might do nothing to maintain out Valverde’s swerving drive as Madrid made it 4 wins from 4 within the Champions League and claimed their seventh successive victory in all competitions.

The UEFA Champions League Desk

Upcoming fixtures for AEK Athens FC and Actual Madrid