The key facts
- Real beat AEK 3:2 in Athens, Valverde's goal in the 92nd minute
- Mbappé recorded his 100th goal contribution in the Champions League (74 goals, 26 assists)
- Real are on a seven-match winning streak in all competitions and four in the Champions League; AEK are led by former CSKA coach Marko Nikolić
Valverde saved Real in Athens
Real Madrid snatched an away victory over Greek side AEK in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase — 3:2. The match took place at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens; Gazeta provided a live text broadcast. Life.ru reports that Federico Valverde scored the decisive goal in the 92nd minute, already in stoppage time.
Course of the match and the numbers
The hosts opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Aboubakar Koita, but in the 32nd Jude Bellingham restored parity. In the second half AEK went ahead again thanks to a goal from Stavros Piliou in the 75th minute, yet three minutes later Kylian Mbappé equalized, and then Valverde brought Madrid the win. According to Gazeta.Ru, Mbappé's goal was his 100th goal contribution in the Champions League — the forward has 74 goals and 26 assists to his name.
What this changes in the table and the streak
The win extended Real's Champions League streak to four matches: with 12 points the team sits second in the table, while AEK, with one point, is 30th. Life.ru notes that this is Madrid's seventh consecutive victory in all competitions — they last dropped points on September 20, losing to Atlético (1:2) in the Spanish championship. The Greek club is led by Serbian coach Marko Nikolić, who previously worked with Moscow's CSKA and Lokomotiv. The reigning champion of the competition remains PSG, who beat Arsenal on penalties (4:3, 1:1 after extra time) in the final in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
