Real Madrid Defeats AEK Athens 3-2 in UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid secured a dramatic 3-2 victory against AEK Athens at the OPAP Arena on Wednesday during the fourth matchday of the 2026 UEFA Champions League. Manager José Mourinho's side maintained their strong European campaign with the late win, extending their stellar run of form.

The Spanish powerhouse entered the fixture sitting fifth in the league phase standings with nine points, while AEK Athens languished near the bottom in 27th place. Prior to the match, Mourinho announced a starting lineup that featured the return of Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior wearing the captain's armband after local suspension, alongside defender Éder Militão making his return from a long injury absence.

AEK Athens stunned the visitors early when Aboubakary Koïta opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a left-footed shot from the center of the box. Real Madrid responded in the 32nd minute through English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who converted a cross from Marc Cucurella to level the score at 1-1 before halftime.

Bellingham's goal marked a significant milestone in his career. According to Opta statistics, it was his tenth Champions League goal for Real Madrid in 37 appearances, making him only the second midfielder in club history to reach double digits in the tournament, following José María Gutiérrez "Guti", who scored 16 goals in 97 matches. Additionally, Mister Chip noted that Bellingham joined Phil Foden as the second English player to score in each of the last seven Champions League seasons.

The hosts reclaimed the lead in the 75th minute when Stavros Pilios capitalized on a counterattack to put AEK Athens ahead 2-1. However, Real Madrid mounted a resilient comeback in the closing stages of the match.

Kylian Mbappé equalized for the visitors in the 78th minute by slotting home a close-range shot following an assist from Denzel Dumfries. As the match approached stoppage time, Federico Valverde delivered the decisive blow in the 92nd minute, firing a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top of the net with an assist from Brahim Díaz.

The 3-2 triumph solidifies Real Madrid's position near the top of the Champions League standings as they continue their pursuit of the group stage lead, while AEK Athens struggles to climb out of the lower tier of the tournament.