Valverde's 90th-minute winner gave Real Madrid a 3-2 win at AEK

Real Madrid came from behind twice in Athens and created far more than usual, while AEK's finishing ran ahead of the chances they made.

Federico Valverde struck in the 90th minute to win it for Real Madrid at AEK Athens, and the visitors had needed to recover from trailing twice. Aboubakary Koita put AEK ahead at 12, Jude Bellingham levelled at 32, and Stavros Pilios restored the home side's lead at 75. Kylian Mbappé made it 2-2 at 78 before Valverde's late finish settled the match.

Real had 70% of the ball across the match, far above their usual 48.7%. AEK's 30% sat well beneath their usual 45%, so the visitors held possession for a much bigger share of the evening than they normally do. Possession only shows who had the ball, not who did anything with it, which is why the chances matter more.

The shots tell the sharper story. Real took 24, against their usual 16.7, while AEK took 9 when they normally take 14, a figure already below the league average of 14.3 per side. Real's chances were also better than usual: expected goals adds up the quality of each shot, so a tap-in counts for more than a speculative effort from distance, and Real's total of 3.41 was well above their usual 2.37.

AEK's own attacking was ordinary by that measure. Their 0.95 expected goals matched what they usually produce at home, so the openings they made were not unusual. Where they stood out was in finishing: two goals is above their usual 1.4, which means they scored more than the chances suggested.

At the back, the picture was less kind. AEK usually concede 2.15 expected goals at home, and this match handed Real chances well above that figure. AEK conceded three, against their usual 1.6, so the concession came more often than their defence normally allows. Real's own scoring was close to normal, with three goals against their usual 3.3.

Mbappé was the most dangerous Real player on the numbers, with 7 shots, and he got the equaliser at 78. Bellingham and Valverde also found the net. For AEK, Brignoli made 5 saves, more than either goalkeeper managed for Real, which kept his side in it for longer than the scoreline suggests. Five goals in the match was a little above the league average of 3.8 per game.

Real have now won each of their last six matches, and they have nine points from three games. AEK have three points from the same number of matches, and one win in that stretch.

Player of the matchKylian Mbappé1 goal8.2

J. Bellingham1 goal8.2

F. Valverde1 goal7.9

A. Koita1 goal · 1 assist7.5