UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid produce stunning comeback as City prevail and Liverpool stumble
Real Madrid have made a habit of turning adversity into opportunity in the UEFA Champions League, and Wednesday night in Athens provided another compelling illustration. Twice behind against AEK Athens, the 15-time European champions produced a stirring late response to win 3-2 and preserve their perfect record in the league phase.
AEK came out with intent and took the lead through Aboubakary Koita in the 12th minute. Real needed a moment of individual quality to respond, and Jude Bellingham supplied it with a delightful back-heel finish after a Marc Cucurella delivery.
The Greek side refused to be intimidated, however, and Stavros Pilios restored their advantage with a well-worked move. Kylian Mbappé brought Real level again in the 78th minute, converting a Denzel Dumfries delivery.
With the contest heading towards a draw, Federico Valverde produced the decisive moment, unleashing a superb long-range thunderbolt in stoppage time. It was another reminder that writing off Real Madrid in Europe is rarely a sensible proposition.
Manchester City also had to work hard for their three points, overcoming RB Leipzig 3-2 in Germany. City went ahead just before half-time when Nico O'Reilly's cross was turned into his own net by Castello Lukeba.
Leipzig responded through Ridle Baku shortly after the restart, but Enzo Fernández restored City's lead with a powerful header. Antonio Nusa brought the hosts level once more, setting up a tense finish.
City, though, had the final say. Erling Haaland arrived at the right place to convert Elliot Anderson's delivery and settle an absorbing contest.
It was a valuable victory for Enzo Maresca's side, who showed the patience and attacking quality required to negotiate a difficult away fixture. Liverpool, meanwhile, endured a frustrating evening in Istanbul.
Their 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahçe ended their unbeaten start to the league phase and exposed some familiar defensive vulnerabilities. Trey Nyoni gave the visitors the lead in the 25th minute, only for Mason Greenwood's deflected free-kick to bring Fenerbahçe level.