Real Madrid came from behind twice to defeat AEK Athens 3–2 on Wednesday night, with a stunning Federico Valverde stoppage-time strike completing the comeback.

The hosts were very much amped up for Real Madrid's visit and took the game to the visitors. After missing two early chances, Aboubakary Koïta made a nice move on Marc Cucurella and fired a near-post rocket that beat Thibaut Courtois, giving AEK Athens the lead just 12 minutes in.

Real Madrid survived the early onslaught and slowly grew into the game. Then, after getting an equalizer disallowed for a marginal offside, Jude Bellingham leveled the scoring with a beautiful backheel finish just past the 30 minute-mark. It was a goal at the reach of only the world’s best.

The second half was a mud fight between two teams that struggled to create much of anything in attack. But when Los Blancos seemed to be in control, an electrifying counter attack saw Koïta turn provider, sliding a low cross for Stavros Pilios to fire the hosts ahead in the 75th minute.

But the joy lasted just three minutes, as a brilliant Bellingham pass allowed Denzel Dumfries to square a ball for Kylian Mbappé, who overcame what had been a difficult night with a much-needed equalizer.

The 15-time European champions put the pressure on in the dying minutes and finally, Valverde unleashed a trademark long-distance missile that found the top corner, winning the game for Jose Mourinho’s side with just seconds remaining.

The vintage Champions League comeback sees Real Madrid remain perfect in the league phase standings and extend their winning streak to seven games.

Winners and Losers

Winners

was arguably Real Madrid’s best player on the pitch. Tasked with dictating his team’s possessions, the Portuguese was at his vintage best. His intelligent positioning allowed him to always be an outlet and he dominated on the ball. Silva crashed the box at times—a wrinkle Mourinho has added to his role—but also had the stamina to track back and help his backline. He delivered a complete performance.

Superlatives are starting to run out when describing , a player capable of overcoming his context and still producing. The Englishman’s knack of lifting his team up through adversity was on full display again. His equalizer was a thing of beauty, and his through ball to set up Madrid’s second was just as good.

Then, when Real Madrid needed a hero, it was captain who came to the rescue. The Uruguayan won the game with a majestic strike, one of the best goals of the Champions League season.

Losers

It’s a broken record at this point, but it’s simply unbelievable how innocuous looks at the moment. The Brazilian’s talent is world-class, but his confidence seems completely shot. His presence on the pitch instantly makes more uncomfortable, given he’s forced to operate on the right. Right now, Vinícius Jr worsens Real Madrid’s attack because of his dreadful form and how he impacts those around him.

Not even an assist could rescue ’s latest frustrating performance. He once again pushed forward with force at times, but seems clueless when it comes to deciding what to do with the ball once he gets to a potentially threatening position—unless Mbappé is wide open inside the six-yard box.

Defensively, he was Madrid’s weakest link—and that’s saying something considering how shakyand looked.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. AEK Athens (4-2-3-1)

—: Had it not been for Courtois’s greatness, Los Blancos would’ve conceded at least three goals before the 20 minute-mark.

—: A defensive liability from the start. The Dutchman struggled one-on-one against AEK’s forwards and was caught out of position multiple times. He got an assist but outside of that, couldn’t even get his throw-ins right.

—: It was the Brazilian’s first start of the campaign and it showed. Militão looked slow and rusty, and Luka Jović was able to exploit his subpar form.

—: Militão at least has his lack of playing time as an excuse for his poor performance. Rüdiger, though, equally struggled against Jović and more so against Mijat Gaćinović, with the pair turning him around with clever moves to get a shot away.

—: Clumsy from Cucurella, who wasn’t tight enough on Koïta and then bit on his dribble, giving him all the space he needed to fire his side ahead. Redeemed himself when he assisted Bellingham’s equalizer, but he still was far from great and incessantly fouled opponents all game.

—: Without Arda Güler, it was up to Silva to organize Madrid in possession and it was a vintage performance from the classy Portuguese. He was free to roam all over the base of midfield and seemingly always made the right decision.

—: After a nervy start, Camavinga settled and anchored Madrid’s midfield. He tirelessly destroyed potentially dangerous AEK incursions, registering 12 defensive contributions—the most of any player on the pitch.

—: Although he had a couple of nice deliveries, the teenager couldn’t build on his recent run of superb form, looking uncomfortable and erratic operating wide right.

—: Man of the match performance from Bellingham. Outside of his wonderful goal, he started the action of Madrid’s second and was Los Blancos’ most dangerous player. Incredibly vertical on the ball and Mourinho will recognize his major effort out of possession.

—: It truly seems like his powers got taken away from him. Simply couldn’t beat his man all game, offering next to nothing in attack.

—: As incredible as it might seem, Mbappé was outplayed by former Real Madrid striker Luka Jović for much of the game. Still, the Frenchman is inevitable and left Greece with another goal.

—He only scores screamers, and his latest completed Madrid’s comeback at the death.

—Created two chances during his cameo, but also failed to contribute defensively in the action of AEK's second.

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: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Dean Huijsen, Ibrahima Konaté, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Pitarch, Sergio Martínez

What the Ratings Tell Us

👊 LAST-GASP WINNER! pic.twitter.com/DgkNhT300P

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 4, 2026

• After seemingly getting exiled for a brief period, Bernardo Silva has done more than enough to merit regular starts moving forward. Whether it’s alongside Camavinga or Aurélien Tchouaméni, Silva is much better suited for the role than Valverde.
• Arda Güler’s importance became even clearer during his absence. Without the Turkish playmaker, Los Blancos look significantly less threatening, lacking a natural creator in the final third. Güler might hold the key to Madrid’s hopes of major silverware this season.
• Antonio Rüdiger no longer looks equipped to perform at an elite level on a consistent basis. Ibrahima Konaté got the night off, but it’s clear he must be in the XI come the biggest games of the season.
• Yan Diomande needs to start on the left over Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian’s past greatness can’t trump his current form any longer.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Vintage Comeback

• Although Real Madrid outshot AEK Athens 24–8, the hosts created three big chances to Madrid’s two, highlighting how this game could’ve gone either way.
• Los Blancos had 44 touches in the opposition box compared to AEK’s 14.
• Valverde’s match winner accounted for just 0.03 of Real Madrid’s total 3.35 xG on the night.
• Since February 2025, Real Madrid have won four Champions League away games with the winning goal coming in stoppage time.

Statistic	AEK Athens	Real Madrid
Possession	30%	70%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.87	3.35
Total Shots	9	24
Shots on Target	5	8
Big Chances	3	2
Pass Accuracy	85%	92%
Fouls	9	16
Corners	0	7

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. AEK Athens: Another Magical Madrid European Comeback.