Real Madrid came from behind to defeat AEK Athens 3-2 in Greece, while Liverpool surrendered their lead twice before losing 3-2 to Fenerbahçe in Istanbul on Wednesday night.

The two results came in Matchday Four of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase, with Madrid maintaining their perfect record in the competition and Liverpool suffering their first defeat after winning their opening three matches, blueprint reports.

Valverde strikes late to rescue Real Madrid

At the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, Federico Valverde scored in stoppage time to hand Real Madrid a dramatic victory after the Spanish side had twice fallen behind.

AEK made an encouraging start and took the lead in the 12th minute through Aboubakary Koïta, who cut inside before finding the net with a well-placed effort.

Madrid responded through Jude Bellingham in the 32nd minute. The England midfielder brought the visitors level with an improvised finish, turning in a cross from the left to make it 1-1.

The Greek side refused to surrender and regained the advantage in the 75th minute when Stavros Pilios finished a counter-attacking move to put AEK 2-1 ahead.

However, Madrid’s response was immediate. Kylian Mbappé equalised in the 78th minute after Federico Valverde and Denzel Dumfries combined to create the opportunity.

With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Valverde produced the decisive moment in the second minute of added time, unleashing a powerful strike to complete Madrid’s comeback and secure all three points.

The victory takes Madrid to 12 points from four matches, keeping them among the leading teams in the league-phase standings. Their ability to recover from difficult positions will be encouraging, although conceding twice against AEK will raise questions about their defensive performance.

Liverpool’s comeback falls short in Istanbul

Liverpool, meanwhile, endured a disappointing evening at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, losing 3-2 to Fenerbahçe despite taking the lead twice.

The visitors went ahead in the 25th minute through young midfielder Trey Nyoni, who found the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Fenerbahçe responded four minutes later as Mason Greenwood scored from a free-kick, with the effort taking a deflection on its way past the Liverpool goalkeeper to restore parity.

The teams went into the break level at 1-1, but Liverpool regained the advantage after the restart.

Substitute Alexander Isak made an immediate impact, heading home a cross from Cody Gakpo in the 69th minute to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.

Liverpool’s lead, however, lasted only four minutes. Archie Brown capitalised on a defensive lapse to equalise for the Turkish side in the 73rd minute.

Fenerbahçe then completed the turnaround in the 79th minute when Vedat Muriqi scored to make it 3-2, leaving Liverpool with little time to recover.

The defeat ended Liverpool’s winning start to the league phase. The Reds had recorded victories over Atlético Madrid, LASK and Villarreal in their first three matches, but their defensive lapses in Istanbul proved costly.

For Fenerbahçe, the victory represents an important result against one of Europe’s established clubs and provides a boost to their campaign.

What the results mean

Madrid’s victory strengthens their position in the race for automatic qualification to the Champions League round of 16, with the club now boasting four wins from four matches.

Liverpool remain on nine points despite the setback, having won their first three fixtures. They will now need to respond in their remaining league-phase matches to maintain their position among the leading sides.

The contrasting fortunes of the two clubs underline the demands of the expanded league-phase format, where every result can influence the final standings and qualification prospects.