Three goals in the closing stages gave Real Madrid a 4-3 victory away from home in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the result also marking José Mourinho's return to Roma. De Roon put the home side in front with a well-worked finish, only for Mbappé to draw level before half-time on the occasion of his 100th appearance in the competition.
Two goals from Malen in a six-minute spell after the break put Roma in a position of clear advantage over opponents who arrived carrying 15 European titles on their record. A late flurry of three corner kicks across the closing six minutes handed Carlos Espí, Endrick, and Antonio Rüdiger the goals needed to turn the scoreline around, leaving the Stadio Olimpico supporters stunned, while Mourinho — whose side had controlled much of the opening period — reflected afterwards that the contest had essentially played out as two distinct halves of a game.
Mourinho built a following at Roma over roughly two and a half years, guiding the club to Conference League glory and an Europa League final appearance, before the result was captured in his post-match remark: "When it was 3-1 everyone probably thought the game was over." Banners were unfurled and chants rang out from the home supporters in favour of their coach, marking the club's return to Champions League action at their own ground for the first time in over seven years.
Sjøvold's 52nd-minute strike delivered a 1-0 result for Bodø/Glimt over Borussia Dortmund, extending the Norwegian club's record of avoiding defeat at home when facing established European competition. Sjøvold gave Bodø/Glimt the lead just after the interval, with the Norwegian club having carried a noticeably steadier and more disciplined presence throughout the match against opponents who had reached the Champions League final the previous season.
Dortmund grew into the match across the closing half-hour yet fell short of an equaliser, with Nmecha's late opportunity going unused. Coach Niko Kovac attributed the defeat to a collective shortfall in intensity, noting that Bodø had shown considerably more drive throughout the afternoon.
That defeat places Dortmund among a collection of well-known clubs — Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Sporting among them — who have left Bodø's Aspmyra stadium without a result, a ground whose artificial surface has repeatedly caught visiting sides off guard. Having reached the last-16 stage a year earlier, Bodø leaned on the advantage of playing at home, where their 8,200-capacity stadium — the smallest official venue in the competition that season — gave them a familiar setting to work from.
Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian title-holders who have played away from their home city since the conflict in the Donbas region began, marked the adoption of Stamford Bridge as their Champions League base with a 3-1 victory over AEK Athens. Majer put his side ahead on 28 minutes, with Pedrinho drawing the teams level from the spot six minutes on.
Ten minutes or so before the final whistle, Vinicius Tobias converted from a narrow angle, and replacement Gleiker Mendoza put the result beyond doubt by driving the ball home after cutting inside from the left flank. Stamford Bridge has been serving as Shakhtar Donetsk's home venue for European matches this season, an arrangement made possible by Chelsea's absence from UEFA competition.
Figures from the Ukrainian embassy in London put the number of Ukrainians who have taken up residency in the UK at 265,000, a total that has accumulated over the period following Russia's large-scale military offensive against Ukraine launched in 2022. Wednesday's attendance reached 29,000, bolstered by a notable contingent of supporters drawn from the area's expatriate community.
Isco provided the decisive goal at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, while a strike from Abde Ezzalzouli drew widespread attention as one of the standout efforts of the week, with Real Betis coming from behind at moments to ultimately edge Porto 3-2 in a fixture that produced multiple flashpoints throughout. From the edge of the penalty box, Ezzalzouli drove a shot into the far-post upper corner in the second half.
Veiga drew the scores level from a free-kick, and the manner of his goal-line celebration stirred a confrontation among players from both sides. A trio of players collected yellow cards during the match. Aghehowa, a Porto replacement who represents Spain at international level, put his side ahead within two minutes of stepping onto the pitch, before fellow substitute Cucho Hernández levelled the score in the 74th minute. A penalty converted by Isco in the closing stages handed his side the victory.
A flawless run through the league phase now belongs to Stuttgart, who secured top spot by shutting out Slovan Bratislava in Bratislava — three unanswered goals doing the work on the road. Anis Hadj Moussa netted a pair of goals as Feyenoord, who sit atop the Dutch standings, overturned a deficit against visiting Como to take the match 3-2.
