Real Madrid Edges AEK Athens in Hard-Fought UEFA Champions League Match

Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League at the AEK Arena on November 4, 2026. The Spanish powerhouse faced a resilient host side before pulling off the win in injury time, maintaining their strong position near the top of the league phase standings.

The match began slowly for Los Blancos, who conceded the opening goal in the 12th minute when Aboubakary Koita found the back of the net with an assist from Luka Jovic. Despite dominating possession, Real Madrid struggled to break through early on, though midfielder Jude Bellingham eventually leveled the score in the 32nd minute following an assist from Marc Cucurella.

During the first half, Honduran midfielder Kervin Arriaga of AEK Athens was shown a yellow card for dissent in the 34th minute as tensions flared on the pitch. The score remained level at 1-1 heading into the halftime interval.

The second half brought heightened drama when Stavros Pilios put the home side ahead 2-1 in the 75th minute, capitalizing on an assist from Koita. However, Real Madrid responded swiftly just three minutes later when Kylian Mbappe netted the equalizer in the 78th minute with support from Denzel Dumfries.

As the match neared its conclusion, AEK Athens found themselves shorthanded when Koita received a red card from the referee in the 90th minute. Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Federico Valverde scored the decisive winning goal for Real Madrid during injury time, sealing the 3-2 triumph.

Following the match, Real Madrid stands near the top of the league phase with 12 points, matching Paris Saint-Germain, though PSG holds the advantage on goal difference. Meanwhile, AEK Athens continues to battle in the lower half of the standings as the competition progresses.