Valverde Stunner Keeps Real Madrid Flawless as Como Make History in France
ATHENS — Federico Valverde crashed home a stoppage time strike to secure a dramatic 3-2 win for Real Madrid at AEK Athens on Wednesday. A very erratic evening in the Champions League with Liverpool also in trouble in Istanbul and Como equaling the tournament's history. Ancelotti's side were on the point of picking up nothing in Greece after going behind twice. Koita got the hosts off to the perfect start on 12 minutes with a neat cut inside and a clean strike into the top corner. Bellingham equalised just past the half hour with a clever flick on the heel of Cucurella's cross. AEK took the lead again in the 75th minute with Stavros Pilios driving a shot through Courtois, only for Mbappe to tap in an equaliser three minutes later. Valverde then pulled all three points away in the final seconds to leave Madrid second in the table on 12 points, behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference. The headline from across Europe was from the north of France. Cesc watched his Como side go through a very destructive 9-1 performance against Lens, equaling the record margin of victory (8 goals) previously achieved by Liverpool and Real Madrid in the earlier tournaments. Anastasios Douvikas was the man to lead the charge with a hat-trick and an assist. Nico Paz, Lucas da Cunha, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Mattia Liberali, Martin Baturina and Matteo Papaccioli all also found the net so Como are only the second side ever to score nine in a single Champions League match (after Bayern Munich).  Liverpool's perfect start to their European campaign came to an end at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium as Fenerbahce secured a 3-2 win. Trey Nyoni put Liverpool in front early on with a deflected volley into the net past Ederson. Mason Greenwood equalised almost immediately with a free kick that hit the wall and then went past Alisson. Substitutes Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak combined to put Liverpool ahead in the 69th minute (Isak heading home from close range). Defensive errors, however, saw the visitors level; Brown equalised four minutes later, then floated a hopeful ball back into the area for Vedat Muriqi to outjump three Liverpool defenders in the 79th minute. The defeat saw Iraola's side drop to eighth on nine points, Fenerbahce picking up their first continental win of the campaign. In Germany, Manchester City held on to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 with Erling Haaland scoring the winner in the 78th minute. Castello Lukeba's own goal put City in front and it was Ridle Baku and Antonio Nusa who were the ones to exchange goals with Enzo Fernandez rounding off the scoring. Haaland then slipped in at the far post to seal it and City remain in seventh place on nine points. Arsenal sealed third with a 2-1 victory at Slavia Prague (goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres in the first half). Porto put in a commanding performance to beat Napoli 4-1 at home. Borussia Dortmund edged Real Betis 2-1; Konstantinos Karetsas scored. Club Brugge took a 2-1 away win over PSV Eindhoven.
