Valverde rescues Real as Liverpool let lead slip twice to lose at Fenerbahce

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Real Madrid's Federico Valverde (L) shoots to score the winner against AEK Athens during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, Greece, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
Real Madrid's Federico Valverde (L) shoots to score the winner against AEK Athens during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, Greece, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

Federico Valverde struck in stoppage time to give Real Madrid a dramatic 3-2 Champions League victory at AEK Athens on Wednesday, while Liverpool surrendered the lead twice in a 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce.

Manchester City avoided the same fate at RB Leipzig, with Erling Haaland’s 78th-minute winner securing a 3-2 victory.

Arsenal survived a late scare to beat Slavia Prague 2-1 and move third on 10 points.

Como were the night’s big scorers, thrashing RC Lens 9-1 in an astonishing display in France to equal the biggest victory in the competition’s history.

Real twice came from behind to maintain their perfect start and sit second on 12 points from four matches, behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference.

AEK threatened from the outset, and their early pressure was rewarded in the 12th minute when Aboubakary Koita cut inside and fired into the top corner from just inside the box.

AEK Athens Aboubakary Koita (L) shoots to score against Real Madrid during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, Greece, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
AEK Athens Aboubakary Koita (L) shoots to score against Real Madrid during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, Greece, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

Thibaut Courtois denied Luka Jovic before Jude Bellingham, who had an effort ruled out for offside in the 27th minute, equalised five minutes later with a deft backheel from Marc Cucurella’s low cross.

Koita’s driving run and pass set up Stavros Pilios to restore AEK’s lead in the 75th minute, his low shot going through Courtois’ legs.

Kylian Mbappe tapped in Denzel Dumfries’ cross three minutes later before Valverde delivered the winner, leaving AEK 29th on three points.

Liverpool’s winning start ends

Liverpool arrived in Istanbul with three wins from three, but Vedat Muriqi’s 79th-minute winner ended that run and earned Fenerbahce their first victory of the campaign.

Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi celebrates after scoring the winner against Liverpool during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on November 4, 2026. —Reuters
Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi celebrates after scoring the winner against Liverpool during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on November 4, 2026. —Reuters

Trey Nyoni opened the scoring in the 25th minute, meeting a defensive header with a low volley that deflected off Kojo Peprah Oppong and wrong-footed Fenerbahce keeper Ederson.

Mason Greenwood levelled four minutes later with a free kick that struck Jeremy Jacquet in the defensive wall and skidded past Alisson.

Substitutes Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak combined to restore Liverpool’s lead in the 69th minute.

Gakpo exchanged passes with Kostas Tsimikas before reaching the byline and delivering a cross for Isak to power a close-range header past Ederson.

Liverpool’s Alexander Isak heads to score against Fenerbahce during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
Liverpool’s Alexander Isak heads to score against Fenerbahce during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

The advantage lasted four minutes. Following a short corner, N’Golo Kante crossed, and Gakpo’s glancing header diverted the ball away from Alisson, leaving Archie Brown to tap into an unguarded net at the far post.

Brown then supplied the winner, looping the ball into the box after a long throw was headed back to him. Surrounded by three Liverpool defenders, Muriqi somehow headed past Alisson, wrapping up a poor night for Liverpool’s defence.

Andoni Iraola’s side dropped to eighth with nine points, while Fenerbahce climbed to 19th on five.

Haaland delivers

Manchester City led through Castello Lukeba’s 37th-minute own goal as he tried to clear Nico O’Reilly’s cross, but Ridle Baku equalised four minutes after halftime.

Enzo Fernandez restored City’s advantage in the 58th minute before Antonio Nusa levelled three minutes later.

Elliot Anderson’s run and low cross then found Haaland, who slid in to finish at the far post.

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (R) scores the winning goal past RB Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (R) scores the winning goal past RB Leipzig goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

City are seventh on nine points, six points clear of Leipzig, who are in the elimination places.

In Prague, first-half goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres put Arsenal in control.

Wiktor Nowak punished Arsenal’s failure to clear a cross in the final minute, but Slavia remained 34th on one point.

Arsenal’s Noni Madueke (L) scores against Slavia Prague during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, Czech Republic on November 4, 2026. —Reuters
Arsenal’s Noni Madueke (L) scores against Slavia Prague during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, Czech Republic on November 4, 2026. —Reuters

Cesc Fabregas’s Como scored six second-half goals in France to beat Lens 9-1, with Anastasios Douvikas claiming a hat-trick and an assist as the Italian side followed their 4-1 victory over Manchester United with another emphatic performance.

The winning margin matched Liverpool and Real Madrid’s 8-0 home victories against Besiktas and Malmo, respectively, as they became only the second team after Bayern Munich to score nine goals in a game.

Como climbed to fourth on nine points. Nico Paz, Lucas da Cunha, Marc-Oliver Kempf, Mattia Liberali, Martin Baturina and Matteo Papaccioli joined Douvikas on the scoresheet, with Ruben Aguilar replying for Lens.

Como’s Tasos Douvikas (third L) celebrates with team-mates after scoring against RC Lens during their UEFA Champions League, first-round match at the Bollaert Stadium in Lens, France, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
Como’s Tasos Douvikas (third L) celebrates with team-mates after scoring against RC Lens during their UEFA Champions League, first-round match at the Bollaert Stadium in Lens, France, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

Meanwhile, FC Porto collected their first points with a 4-1 home victory over Napoli.

Scott McTominay cancelled out Jan Bednarek’s opener before second-half goals from Gabri Veiga, Jakub Kiwior and a Samu Aghehowa penalty secured victory.

Porto are 26th and Napoli 27th, both on three points.

Elsewhere, Konstantinos Karetsas scored Borussia Dortmund’s 72nd-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over Real Betis after Aitor Ruibal had cancelled out Fabio Silva’s opener.

Borussia Dortmund’s Konstantinos Karetsas celebrates after scoring the winner against Real Betis during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, on November 4, 2026. —AFP
Borussia Dortmund’s Konstantinos Karetsas celebrates after scoring the winner against Real Betis during their UEFA Champions League first-round match at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, on November 4, 2026. —AFP

Betis, whose winning start ended, are 11th on nine points, ahead of Dortmund in 12th.

Club Brugge won 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven through goals from Nicolo Tresoldi and Carlos Forbs, either side of Kodai Sano’s equaliser, while in the clash of debutants, Viking Stavanger beat Sabah 4-1.

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