Real Madrid secure tough win against Celta Vigo to close gap on Barcelona
In a hard-fought victory, Real Madrid managed to close the gap to Barcelona by winning 3-2 against Celta Vigo.
Just after the break, Kylian Mbappé put his team three goals ahead, giving Real Madrid hopes of an easy win. However, Celta Vigo fought back, reducing the deficit with two goals, making it a thrilling contest. In the end, Celta couldn’t complete the comeback, and Real Madrid held on for the victory, keeping them firmly in the title race.
The match took place at Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday, with Real Madrid winning 3-2.
Arda Güler put the Spanish champions ahead, followed by a brace from Mbappé. Celta responded with goals from Javi Rodríguez and Will Svedberg, but it wasn’t enough.
Apart from Güler and Mbappé, Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois played a crucial role, making several excellent saves throughout the game. Celta had 14 shots, seven of which were on target, while Real had 17 shots, six on target.
Celta’s first real chance came in the fifth minute when Hugo Sotelo’s corner found Marcos Alonso, whose header narrowly missed the target.
In the seventh minute, Borja Iglesias had an opportunity in the box but was denied by Real’s Raúl Asensio with a corner clearance.
Sotelo’s subsequent corner saw a diving header from Alonso, which Courtois saved. Shortly after, a counterattack almost resulted in a goal for Real, as Lucas Vázquez’s shot was deflected by Celta’s goalkeeper, who nearly scored an own goal.
In the 33rd minute, Güler gave Real Madrid the lead with a brilliant shot, finding the back of the net after receiving a pass from Vázquez following a corner.
Six minutes later, Celta nearly equalized with a shot from Iglesias that deflected off Aurélien Tchouaméni’s foot. Courtois made a crucial save, and Real quickly launched a counterattack, where Mbappé scored a clinical goal.
Leading 3-0 at halftime, Real Madrid extended their advantage in the second half. In the 48th minute, Mbappé added a second goal with a stunning strike, making it his 24th goal of the season. Only Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski has more goals in the league (25).
Mbappé is now closing in on a record for goals in his debut season with Real Madrid. Ivan Zamorano scored 37 goals in 45 appearances for the club in the 1992-93 season, while Mbappé has 36 goals in 52 appearances so far.
In the 57th minute, Celta’s goalkeeper prevented a further increase in the lead with a save off Güler’s shot. Jude Bellingham was unable to find the target with two attempts shortly after.
Celta mounted a comeback in the 69th minute, with Javi Rodríguez scoring from a corner. Pablo Durán’s backheel found Vázquez, who cleared it off the line. Rodríguez pounced on the rebound to score.
Seven minutes later, Will Svedberg scored another for Celta, reducing the gap. A brilliant pass from Yago Aspas found Svedberg, who calmly finished past Courtois with a clinical shot.
Celta almost equalized in the 79th minute, with another brilliant pass from Aspas finding Durán, whose shot Courtois couldn’t fully stop. However, the ball didn’t find the net due to its slow pace.
In the 87th minute, Aspas had another chance, but Courtois made a fantastic diving save.
In the 89th minute, Brahim Díaz had a chance from a dangerous position but shot straight at Courtois, frustrating Real Madrid.
Despite the intense pressure, Real Madrid held on for the win, leaving the pitch with relief. With 75 points from 34 matches (23 wins and six draws), they sit second, four points behind Barcelona, who lead the league with 79 points.
