Mauritanian Aboubakary Koita produced an outstanding individual performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, scoring once and providing an assist for AEK Athens, but his memorable evening ended in disappointment following a dramatic 3-2 defeat.

The AEK Athens forward looked destined to become the hero of the night after delivering a remarkable attacking display against the Spanish giants in front of an electric home crowd in Athens.

Koita opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalising on a layoff from Luka Jović before driving past Marc Cucurella and firing beyond goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to give the hosts an early advantage.

His goal sent the home supporters into celebration and put Real Madrid under immediate pressure.

Jude Bellingham restored parity before half-time, but Koita continued to trouble the visitors with his pace, movement and attacking threat.

With 15 minutes remaining, the forward turned provider, launching a dangerous counterattack before delivering a precise pass to Stavros Pilios, who finished expertly at the near post to put AEK back in front at 2-1.

However, Real Madrid responded with the resilience that has defined their European pedigree. Kylian Mbappé equalised just three minutes later before Federico Valverde delivered the decisive blow with a stunning long-range strike in the 92nd minute to complete a dramatic comeback.

The late winner proved too much for Koita to take, with his frustration spilling over in stoppage time. The AEK forward was shown a red card in the 95th minute for abusive language, bringing a disappointing end to an otherwise impressive individual display.

Despite the dismissal and the painful defeat, Koita’s contribution remained one of the major talking points of the encounter, having recorded a goal and an assist against one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.

For the AEK Athens forward, it was a night that perfectly captured football’s contrasting emotions — individual brilliance, collective heartbreak and the fine margins that separate victory from defeat.