Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League campaign after recovering from twice going behind to defeat AEK Athens 3-2 in a thrilling Matchday 4 encounter in Greece on Wednesday night.
Federico Valverde delivered the crucial moment in stoppage time, completing a dramatic comeback that kept the Spanish giants level with Paris Saint-Germain on 12 points at the summit of the league phase standings.
The victory extended Madrid’s winning run to four matches, although the outcome was far from straightforward against an AEK side that twice threatened to derail Los Blancos impressive European campaign.
Koita Makes History as AEK Take Early Lead
The hosts made an encouraging start and were rewarded in the 12th minute when Mauritania international Aboubakary Koita broke the deadlock with a fine finish.
The goal carried historical significance as Koita became the first player from Mauritania to score in the UEFA Champions League, while also registering his maiden goal in the competition.
Madrid thought they had restored parity in the 28th minute when Jude Bellingham found the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The England midfielder, however, did not have to wait long to get his name on the scoresheet. Four minutes later, he calmly finished a move to bring the record winners of the competition back into the contest and send the teams into the break level at 1-1.
Madrid continued to push for the next goal after the restart, but AEK remained dangerous and demonstrated their determination to cause an upset in front of their home supporters.
Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Stavros Pilios restored the Greek side’s lead, leaving the visitors with another deficit to overcome.
However, Madrid responded almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Kylian Mbappé found the equaliser to make it 2-2, taking his tally to four goals in this season’s Champions League.
The French forward has now scored in all four of Madrid’s league phase matches, joining 10 other players who had reached four goals in the competition.
With the encounter seemingly heading towards a draw, Real madrid produced one final moment of quality. Substitute Federico Valverde struck in the second minute of stoppage time to complete the turnaround and secure all three points.
The victory lifted Madrid to 12 points from four matches, keeping them alongside PSG at the top of the standings.
Liverpool Suffer First UCL Defeat of the Season in Istanbul
Elsewhere in Turkey, Liverpool’s perfect start to the competition came to an end after they surrendered the lead twice in a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahçe at the Chobani Stadium in Istanbul.
The Reds arrived seeking a fourth consecutive victory but were unable to contain a determined home side that eventually secured its first win of the league phase.
Liverpool made the brighter start and took the lead in the 25th minute through 19-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni, who registered his first ever Champions League goal after sustained pressure from the visitors.
Fenerbahçe responded just four minutes later when Mason Greenwood found the net to restore parity, sending the sides into the interval level at 1-1.
The visitors regained their advantage shortly after the restart through substitute Alexander Isak, who scored in the 69th minute, just minutes after coming off the bench.
However, Fenerbahçe refused to surrender. Archie Brown brought the hosts level again in the 73rd minute before Vedat Muriqi completed the comeback six minutes later, heading home to give the Turkish side a 3-2 advantage.
Liverpool pushed for a late equaliser but could not find a way past the hosts, who held on to register an important victory.
The result ended Liverpool’s 100 per cent record in the competition after three successive wins and handed them their first defeat of the campaign.
Fenerbahçe Claim First European Victory
For Fenerbahçe, the victory represented a significant breakthrough following an opening sequence of one defeat and two draws.
The Turkish outfit finally secured maximum points to revive its hopes of progressing in the competition.
The contrasting results underlined the unpredictable nature of the league phase, with Madrid demonstrating their resilience to preserve their winning record while Liverpool paid the price for defensive lapses despite taking the lead twice.
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