Post by : Meena
Hassan
In a surprising turn of events in La Liga, Celta Vigo triumphed over Real Madrid with a score of 2-0, ending Madrid's flawless home record this season. The star of the match, Williot Swedberg, delivered a spectacular heel flick in the 53rd minute followed by a composed goal in stoppage time, sealing the win. This defeat places Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona at the top of the table.
Celta, moving up from 14th to 10th in the standings, executed a strong defensive strategy, stifling Madrid's offense effectively. Swedberg’s first goal came courtesy of a well-placed cross from Bryan Zaragoza, which he turned in past Thibaut Courtois with precision. His second goal, netted in the third minute of added time, involved rounding the goalkeeper to finish the job.
Real Madrid’s manager Xabi Alonso opted to rest center-back Antonio Rudiger, starting Alvaro Carreras instead. However, Rudiger was brought onto the field midway through the first half due to an injury to Eder Militao. Despite this change, Madrid found it difficult to penetrate Celta’s disciplined setup, with key players Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior often being crowded out.
Celta’s goalkeeper Ionut Radu showcased his skills, making vital saves against Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Junior. Madrid’s best first-half chance fell to Guler, whose shot went wide following a brilliant assist from Mbappe.
The game further deteriorated for Madrid when Fran Garcia received two yellow cards in rapid succession, leaving the team with ten players. Minutes later, Carreras was also shown a red card for dissent, reducing the squad to just nine players as Celta celebrated their victory.
Bellingham exited the pitch with a cut from a collision with Borja Iglesias, adding to Madrid’s challenges. After the match, Iglesias commended his team’s defensive effort, describing the outcome as “strange,” but emphasizing their determination and focus.
Alonso expressed disappointment regarding his team’s performance, particularly their lack of intensity, while also criticizing officiating decisions. “We performed better with ten players than we did with eleven tonight,” Alonso remarked. “We need to move on quickly; there are many matches left in the league.”
This defeat signals troubling times for Real Madrid, who has only managed to secure one win in their last five league outings as they prepare for their upcoming Champions League match against Manchester City.
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