The English team, Arsenal, defeated its host, Slavia Prague, 2-1, on Wednesday, in the fourth round of the Champions League.
English international Noni Madueke scored the first goal in the ninth minute, and Swede Viktor Geukeris added the second goal in the 38th minute, and in the last minute Viktor Novak scored the goal to reduce the difference for Prague, in a match in which the leaders of the English Premier League played an excellent first half, and retreated significantly in the second.
Arsenal raised its score to 10 points in third place, behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain and runner-up Real Madrid, each with 12 points.
As for Slavia Prague, they have one point, ranking 34th.
Arsenal will play the next round at its home stadium in London, against Germany's Borussia Dortmund, while Slavia Prague will host Spain's Villarreal.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho praised his rival AEK Athens after a difficult victory for the Spanish giant in the Greek capital, 3-2, in the fourth round of the Champions League.
Mourinho also confirmed that his team's current goal is to qualify among the first 8 clubs in the league stage, and avoid playing two additional matches in the playoff.
Mourinho said on the Movistar channel after the match, “We fought for this wonderful finish, and we were not satisfied with just a 2-2 draw, even though it seemed like an acceptable result, and would raise our score to 10 points. Rather, we wanted more and took risks in order to obtain the points that would qualify us for the knockout rounds.”
The Portuguese coach added, "It is often said that the stronger team does not start the matches well, nor is it at its best, but frankly, AEK Athens performed above its level. It was their best match. They performed strongly from the first minutes, and they outperformed us in physical confrontations, and posed a great threat."
He continued, "The Greek team did not settle for a 2-2 draw or settle for a point, but rather strived to achieve victory, and gave a wonderful performance."
The Real Madrid coach talked about Federico Valverde, who scored the winning goal with a missile shot in the 92nd minute, saying, “Valverde is distinguished by his powerful shots, but it is difficult when he employs a right-back. I did not ask him to shoot today, but rather I told him that he must play at a fast pace because the match is open.”
He explained, "With both teams suffering from physical exhaustion, I asked him to take advantage of the spaces and move in the dangerous spaces, and to take advantage of his activity and physical vitality."
Regarding Vinicius, Mourinho said, “I think he performed well, but I decided to activate the left front with two substitutions, because Marca Cucurea had received a warning, and to bring in Alvaro Carreras, who is physically refreshed and is distinguished by his ability to run forward on the wing.”
The Real Madrid coach concluded his statements by saying, “As for Ibrahim Diaz, he is good at playing in the attacking depth, so I wanted to activate this front, but Vinicius played a good match.”
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham praised his teammate Federico Valverde, who scored the difficult goal in a 3-2 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League.
Billingham, who was chosen to win the Man of the Match award, said, "Valverde scored a wonderful goal against a very strong competitor. We controlled the match despite the seriousness of the Greek team's attacks, and I think we were the most dominant."
The English star added on Movistar, "We worked hard to achieve the win. We possessed the ball and created opportunities, and we continued to deliver the performance we are accustomed to in our Champions League matches."
Regarding his heel goal against AEK Athens, he continued, “I acted on instinct after a wonderful cross from Mark Kokoria.”
Jude Bellingham concluded his statement by saying, “I perform well in depth, so I leave an imprint on the course of the match.”
