Real Madrid left it late once again, but they managed to keep their perfect Champions League record intact with yet another dramatic comeback win, this time coming from 2-1 down to defeat AEK Athens. Fede Valverde's 90+2 minute thunderbolt secured all three points in the Greek capital, making it Real Madrid's second win in Greece in the last two seasons. Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also got on the score sheet, another solid performance from the two superstars.
The whole team's performance was far off what we've seen from Real Madrid in the recent weeks, with Jose Mourinho making several changes to the lineup, most of which weren't of much help. As with every Real Madrid performance, there are a number of questions left to be asked from what we saw on the pitch tonight in the Greek capital. Here are three burning questions from Real Madrid's Champions League win over AEK Athens.
1. Mbappe and Bellingham can play together, why can't Vinicius Junior?
Given Vinicius Junior's red card suspension in just for La Liga, the Brazilian was available to Jose Mourinho in the Champions League, and the manager had no hesitation in putting Vinicius right back into the starting lineup, however it was once again another poor performance from him, in what in just the norm for this season. Real Madrid play much better as a team without the Brazilian, as evident by their flying form in La Liga, but it is especially noticeable when it comes to Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham.
When Vinicius isn't playing. Mbappe and Bellingham look like two peas in a pod. The interplay between the two of them, the movement and understanding just comes naturally, with the two superstars more than capable of playing together without stepping on one another's toes. But when Vinicius is added into the mix, everything changes. The chemistry between the three becomes nonexistent, with the Brazilian having a tendency to get in the way of the other two. He tries too hard to make sure the spotlight is on him, which ultimately disrupts the good partnership Mbappe and Bellingham have built. If Real Madrid really wants their superstar trio to work, Vinicius has to take a backseat and accept he's the third man behind Mbappe and Bellingham; but we all know he won't do that.
2. What is Denzel Dumfries good at?
Real Madrid brought in Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan this summer, with Jose Mourinho believing the Dutchman fits his system more than Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, Dumfries hasn't been putting in his best performances, and that was on full display against AEK Athens. Sure, he grabbed the assist on Kylian Mbappe's goal to make it 2-2; however, he was the reason Real Madrid were 2-1 down in the first place, with a complete lapse in concentration defensively leading to AEK's second goal. So his defending hasn't been strong, and he hasn't been contributing going forward, leading to the question: what is he good at?
It's no wonder Jose Mourinho has been calling on Fede Valverde to start at right-back as he has been putting in far better performances than Dumfries, which at this moment, doesn't seem too hard to do. Trent Alexander-Arnold has also put in better performances than the Dutchman despite being behind him in the pecking order, something that should open Jose Mourinho's eyes to the mistake he made bringing in the fullback.
3. How can Jose Mourinho get Eder Militao back in the team permanently?
For the first time since suffering his torn hamstring in April, Eder Militao started a game for Real Madrid, and it was a typical solid performance from the Brazilian. He looked like he hadn't missed a beat, making a number of crucial blocks, tackles, and interceptions, showing once again that when he's fit, he is one of the best center-backs in the world. In his absence, Jose Mourinho has built a strong center-back partnership between Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konate, but with Militao too good to be a squad player, how does the manager fully get him back into the team?
The Brazilian has played at right-back in the past, but with Fede Valverde putting in strong shifts at right-back, that option looks to be off the table; so, where does he play? At the moment, that is a question only Jose Mourinho can answer.
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