Real Madrid escapes the Greek trap.. A Madrid comeback defeats AEK Athens' bravery in the Champions League

04.11.26 FT Champions League

AEK Athens

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Real Madrid

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Real Madrid survived a major UEFA Champions League scare on Wednesday 4 November 2026 securing a dramatic 3-2 victory over AEK Athens at the Allwyn Arena after twice falling behind against the Greek champions.

Mauritania international Aboubakary Koita opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Jude Bellingham produced a spectacular backheel equaliser in the 32nd minute.

AEK restored their advantage through Stavros Pilios in the second half but Kylian Mbappe brought the Spanish giants level again before José Mourinho's side eventually completed their comeback.

The victory extended Real Madrid's perfect start to the Champions League league phase to four consecutive wins while AEK were left frustrated after coming close to producing one of the biggest upsets of the European campaign.

Read Also: Magic of Africa strikes El Real's pride.. Koita surprises Mourinho with an early goal in the Champions League

Koita shocks Real Madrid with an early goal

AEK Athens made an impressive start, showing little fear against the 15 time European champions.

The hosts threatened as early as the fifth minute when Mijat Gacinovic forced Thibaut Courtois into an important save following a pass from Lovro Majer.

Cameroon international Harold Moukoudi also came close to scoring in the tenth minute, directing a header towards goal from Majer's deliver but Courtois was well positioned to make the save.

However Real Madrid's defensive resistance finally broke in the 12th minute.

Former Madrid striker Luka Jovic played a pass into Aboubakary Koita who reacted quickly inside the penalty area before directing a precise left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

The Mauritanian international's goal sent the home supporters into celebration and gave Marko Nikolic's side an unexpected 1-0 advantage.

As Foot Africa previously highlighted, Koita had already established himself among the Champions League's most effective dribblers during the opening rounds of the competition.

His latest contribution demonstrated another dimension of his attacking abilities, delivering a clinical finish against one of Europe's biggest clubs.

AEK nearly doubled their lead in the 17th minute when Jovic received a pass from Gacinovic and fired towards goal, only for Courtois to produce another important save.

Bellingham scores spectacular equaliser after VAR drama

Real Madrid gradually recovered from their difficult opening, with Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Yan Diomande becoming increasingly involved in attacking situations.

Mbappe missed a promising opportunity in the 21st minute after receiving a pass from Diomande sending his effort over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

Six minute later, the Ivorian winger attempted to score himself but his left footed strike was blocked by the AEK defence.

Madrid thought they had equalised in the 28th minute through Jude Bellingham, only for the effort to be disallowed following an offside review.

However, the England international eventually found the breakthrough four minutes later.

Marc Cucurella delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area where Bellingham produced an outstanding backheel finish to direct the ball beyond Alberto Brignoli.

The spectacular goal restored parity in the 32nd minute and gave Mourinho's side renewed confidence.

AEK midfielder Kervin Arriaga received the first yellow card of the encounter two minutes later.

Real Madrid continued searching for another goal before half time, with Cucurella testing Brignoli in the 39th minute and Bernardo Silva missing a close range header shortly before the interval.

The teams entered the dressing rooms level at 1-1.

Pilios restores AEK's lead before Mbappe responds

Real Madrid continued to control possession after the restart, with Eder Militao forcing Brignoli into another save in the 50th minute.

AEK responded by introducing Zini in place of Lovro Majer in the 53rd minute while Razvan Marin and Barnabas Varga also entered the contest seven minutes later.

The match became increasingly physical, with Eduardo Camavinga and Lazaros Rota requiring medical attention following a clash of heads.

Mourinho subsequently turned to his substitutes, introducing Endrick and Federico Valverde in the 67th minute as Real Madrid searched for a second goal.

However, AEK surprised the visitors again.

Stavros Pilios finished a rapid counterattack to restore the Greek side's lead at 2-1 putting Mourinho's unbeaten Champions League record this season under serious threat.

The setback forced Real Madrid to increase their attacking intensity during the closing stages.

Mbappe eventually found the net to make it 2-2 giving the Spanish club a route back into the encounter.

Madrid then completed their dramatic comeback with a third goal, securing a hard fought 3-2 victory.

African players take centre stage in Athens

The encounter featured several players of particular interest to African football supporters.

Mauritania international Aboubakary Koita emerged as one of AEK's standout performers scoring the opening goal and repeatedly threatening Madrid's defensive line.

Cameroonian defender Harold Moukoudi captained the Greek side and played an important role in their attempts to contain Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Bellingham.

For Real Madrid, Ivory Coast international Yan Diomande started on the right side of the attack.

The young winger created an opportunity for Mbappe during the first half and attempted a shot of his own before being replaced by Endrick in the 67th minute.

Meanwhile, Morocco international Brahim Diaz began the encounter among Mourinho's substitutes.

As Foot Africa reported in its official lineup coverage, Diomande's inclusion highlighted his growing importance within Madrid's attacking options.

For Koita, scoring against Real Madrid represented another significant milestone in his European career, even though the Mauritanian ultimately finished on the losing side.

Real Madrid maintain perfect Champions League record

The victory takes Real Madrid to 12 points from their opening four league phase encounters, maintaining their perfect record in the competition.

Mourinho's side had previously defeated Inter Milan 2-1, Roma 4-3 and RB Leipzig 4-1 before travelling to Athens.

Their latest success demonstrates their ability to recover from difficult situations although conceding twice against AEK will raise further questions about the team's defensive performances.

The Greek champions, meanwhile, remain on three points after suffering their third consecutive Champions League defeat.

Despite the disappointing result, Nikolic's side produced an encouraging attacking performance and pushed one of Europe's strongest teams to the limit.

Real Madrid will now turn their attention to their next Champions League fixture against PSV Eindhoven on 24 November while AEK travel to face Como on the same date.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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AEK Athens

Real Madrid

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