Madrid Wins Late as Liverpool’s Perfect Start Ends

Real Madrid scored twice late to overturn deficits and defeat AEK Athens 3-2 on November 4. Federico Valverde sealed the win with a long-range strike in stoppage time, keeping Madrid’s perfect record in the Champions League league phase intact.

AEK took the lead through Aboubakary Koita in the first half, but Jude Bellingham equalized with a backheel finish. Stavros Pilios put the hosts ahead again in the 75th minute. Kylian Mbappé leveled three minutes later, before Valverde’s late winner.

The result echoed Madrid’s late rally against Roma last month, when it scored three times in the final 10 minutes to win 4-3. Madrid has now won seven straight games.

Liverpool’s unbeaten start in the competition ended with a 3-2 loss to Fenerbahce in Istanbul. The visitors led twice, through Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak, but Mason Greenwood and Archie Brown each equalized for the Turkish side.

Vedat Muriqi scored the winner in the 89th minute. The defeat was Liverpool’s second in a row across all competitions, following its Premier League loss to Arsenal on November 1.