A new thriller at Real, Como scored 9 goals and set a record
"Real" faced tough resistance in Greece, modest "Como" broke into the top four after scoring 9 goals away, Haaland saved "City", "Liverpool" lost to its former player in Turkey, "Arsenal"'s streak continues; Khusanov started in the lineup and earned a yellow card, Rakhmonaliev's assist did not help "Sabah".
Another dramatic match for Real, Como set a record by scoring 9 goals
AEK – Real 2:3
Goals:
Koita, 12 (1:0). Bellingham, 32 (1:1). Pilios, 75 (2:1). Mbappé, 78 (2:2). Valverde, 90+2 (2:3)
AEK: Brignoli, Moukoudi, Relvas, Pilios, Rota, Kairinen (Marín, 60), Arriaga, Meyer (Zini, 53), Koita, Gaćinović (Varga, 60), Jović (Zubkov, 88)
Real: Courtois, Éder Militão, Rüdiger, Cucurella (Carreras, 82), Dumfries, Camavinga, Silva (Valverde, 67), Bellingham (Espi, 86), Vinícius (Díaz, 82), Diomande (Endrick, 67), Mbappé
Yellow cards: Arriaga, 34 – Cucurella, 65
Real staged a comeback for the second time in this UCL season. José Mourinho's side had managed to turn a 1:3 deficit into a victory in an away match against Roma in Round 2, and this time in Greece, they pulled through from a 1:2 scoreline against AEK.
As early as the 12th minute of the match, former Madrid forward Luka Jović set up Aboubakary Koita in a favorable position, and the Greek side's winger accurately targeted Thibaut Courtois's near corner.
Real equalized in the 32nd minute thanks to the skill of Jude Bellingham. Following a pass from Marc Cucurella, the English midfielder became the author of the round's finest goal: he flicked the ball with his heel to hit the back of the net.
The main events of the match unfolded in the final 15 minutes. First, in the 75th minute, the hosts' defender Stavros Pilios joined the attack and nutmegged Courtois following a pass from Koita – 2:1.
AEK could have snatched a victory with their only shot on target against the guests' goal in the second half. However, Mbappé and Valverde saved Real from embarrassment. In the 78th minute, the French forward reached Denzel Dumfries's cross to the far post and restored parity. Then in stoppage time, Federico Valverde scored the winning goal in his trademark style with a long-range strike – 3:2.
Real are enjoying a perfect group stage in this UCL season: four wins in four matches. Prior to this, they had defeated Leipzig (4:1), Roma (4:3), and Inter (2:1). Meanwhile, Mbappé has scored in every match.