Real Madrid kept their La Liga title hopes alive with a tense 3-2 win over Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappe.
The victory sees the defending champions maintain their four-point gap behind leaders Barcelona, who secured a narrow win over Valladolid on Saturday. With the crucial Clasico coming up next weekend, Madrid is determined to keep the pressure on their Catalan rivals.
Real Madrid, sitting second in the standings, began the match with strong intent. Despite several defensive injuries, Carlo Ancelotti’s men dominated for large stretches of the match.
After an early scare from Celta Vigo, who threatened Madrid with some solid chances, the hosts began to find their rhythm. Turkish youngster Arda Guler, starting in place of the ill Rodrygo Goes, was particularly influential in the first half.
The match came alive in the 33rd minute when Guler scored a stunning goal, curling a shot past Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita after some clever dribbling in the box. Just six minutes later, Mbappe doubled Madrid’s lead with a clinical finish from inside the area after a counter-attack, with Jude Bellingham providing the assist.
The second half began with more of the same, as Mbappe struck again in the 48th minute for his 24th goal of the season, a close-range finish from a well-weighted pass by Guler. However, despite their dominance, Madrid soon found themselves on the back foot as Celta began to fight back.
In the 53rd minute, Celta pulled one back when Javier Rodriguez slotted the ball home from close range after a controversial corner. The goal revived Celta’s spirits, and just minutes later, Iago Aspas’ introduction made a difference as he played a brilliant pass for Williot Swedberg, who finished past Thibaut Courtois to make it 3-2.
With Celta pressing for an equalizer, Madrid survived several tense moments. A close call came when Pablo Duran’s shot slipped out of Courtois’ hands, but luckily for the Belgian keeper, it didn’t cross the line. Madrid managed to hold on to the lead, but it was clear that they couldn’t afford to slip up again.
Speaking after the match, Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde noted the team’s strong first half but admitted that their inability to control the game in the second half was a cause for concern.
“We had a very good first half (but)… we fell apart, these things can’t happen, it’s happened to us a lot,” Valverde said. “We left a lot of minutes for them to get comfortable and they are a great team and they put us in a tough spot.”
Despite the late pressure, Madrid secured the win and are now fully focused on the upcoming Clasico, a match that could decide their fate in the title race. “It’s the game of the year for us, the last chance for us to win La Liga,” Valverde added. “We will try our best to take the three points.”
