Real Madrid have now won only 1 of their last 5 La Liga matches after yesterday’s shock defeat to Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu. After the encouraging win vs Bilbao last time out, Xabi Alonso’s men were back to their old ways as they put out yet another abysmal performance that saw two of their on-pitch players sent off as well as one on the bench. Second half substitute Williot Swedberg scored both goals to give Celta a well deserved 2-0 victory and ensure that Madrid stay four points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Los Blancos were set up in a 442 with Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe up top but the 4 midfielders this time were Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler, with Eduardo Camavinga out due to injury, the same reason why Raul Asencio was at right back instead of Trent Alexander Arnold. Celta meanwhile lined up in a 3421 with Borja Iglesias up top and Bryan Zaragoza and Pablo Duran behind him.
From minute 1, the match was one of high energy, though it would ultimately prove to be a tale of two halves, dramatically decided by discipline and efficiency in front of goal. The opening period saw Madrid dominate the attacking play, with Celta Vigo goalkeeper Ionut Radu earning his keep early on.
The first significant chance came in the 15th minute when Jude Bellingham’s powerful header from a corner forced a good save from Radu. Celta tried to respond two minutes later in the 17th minute with a counter-attack, but the chance was averted by solid defensive work from Fran Garcia. Madrid immediately resumed their pressure, and in the 20th minute, Radu was called into action again, producing another good save from a header by Éder Militão following an Arda Güler corner.
The match presented an early setback for Madrid in the 24th minute when defender Éder Militão sustained a hamstring injury and had to be substituted off, with Antonio Rudiger coming on to replace him. After the enforced change, Madrid continued to press for the opener.
The team’s best chance of the half arrived in the 38th minute. Kylian Mbappé set up a clear opportunity for Arda Güler, but the young player’s shot went just wide of the post. As the half drew to a close, Madrid registered yet another effort on target in the 45th minute plus two minutes of stoppage time, with Vinícius Júnior forcing another save from Radu. Despite multiple clear chances and saves by Radu, the teams went into the break level at 0-0.
Celta Vigo made a tactical change at the start of the second half in the 46th minute, replacing Roman Gonzalez with Williot Swedberg. This substitution would prove decisive. Before the goal, however, Madrid continued to threaten, with Fede Valverde testing Radu in the 52nd minute with a powerful long-range shot that the Celta keeper saved strongly in two attempts.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute, and it was the substitute, Williot Swedberg, who struck the first blow for Celta. Swedberg scored with a sublime back-heel flick after receiving a low cross from Bryan Zaragoza, giving the visitors a crucial 0-1 lead. Raul Asencio was taken off almost immediately after the goal, with Rodrygo coming on in his place.
The goal visibly shifted the momentum, and Madrid’s attempts to recover were quickly undermined by a rapid loss of discipline. In the 63rd minute, Fran Garcia received a Yellow Card for a clumsy foul. Shockingly, just one minute later, in the 64th minute, Garcia compounded his error by receiving a second yellow card for a tackle on Swedberg, resulting in a Red Card and reducing Madrid to 10 men. This moment was arguably the turning point, forcing Madrid to chase the game while short-handed.
Managerial changes followed, with Madrid attempting to adjust in the 73rd minute by bringing on Gonzalo Garcia for Arda Guler. Despite being down to ten men, the home side still created opportunities, albeit less clear-cut. In the 72nd minute, Kylian Mbappé tried to lob the keeper after getting behind the defense, but the ball landed harmlessly on the roof of the net. Mbappé continued to push, forcing another save from Radu from a free-kick just outside the box in the 78th minute.
In the 86th minute, substitute Gonzalo García narrowly missed a chance to equalize, connecting with a cross from Tchouaméni but heading the ball just wide of the target. Celta also brought on fresh legs in the 88th minute, with Iago Aspas replacing Borja Iglesias.
The match descended into chaos for Madrid in stoppage time. In the 90th minute plus two minutes, Álvaro Carreras was shown a second yellow card for dissent after arguing with the referee over a free-kick decision. This left Madrid with just 9 men on the pitch, essentially ending any hope of a comeback.
Celta Vigo immediately capitalized on the defensive chaos. In the 90th minute plus three minutes, Williot Swedberg scored his second goal of the night. He linked up with Aspas, skillfully rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted the ball into the empty net for the 0-2 final score.
