Real Madrid go into Wednesday's Champions League meeting with AEK Athens in strong form, carrying a six-game winning run and a perfect European record into Athens. It is the kind of start that keeps expectations high, especially for a side already positioned among the competition's top eight picture after a fast start.
The Spanish club's most recent European outing ended in a win over RB Leipzig, and that result extended a stretch in which Real Madrid have looked consistently sharp. They have also been scoring at a strong clip, averaging 3.4 goals per game across this run, which helps explain why they have looked so difficult to slow down.
AEK Athens face a difficult test at the ALLWYN Arena
AEK Athens, meanwhile, enter the match with a much tougher recent record. They lost to Panathinaikos at the weekend and were beaten 5–1 by Manchester City in their previous European game. Those results do not make this an easy spot, but AEK have been described as a tougher side at the ALLWYN Arena than some of those recent results suggest.
That home setting matters, because AEK will need something close to their best to stay with a Real Madrid team that has built momentum quickly. The challenge is not just about avoiding another heavy defeat; it is about finding a way to disrupt a side that has been in control for most of the early European schedule.
Mourinho's message: stay focused and keep the level high
José Mourinho, speaking ahead of the game in his second era at Real Madrid, made the message simple: the team needs to play at its best, stay focused and maintain its level of play. That is a sensible warning even for a team in form, because a strong run can disappear quickly if the standards drop for even a short spell.
For Real Madrid, the task is straightforward on paper: protect the winning streak, keep the perfect Champions League record intact and continue building toward the top eight. For AEK Athens, the opportunity is to turn a difficult matchup into a more competitive night on home soil.
