Federico Valverde scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner as Real Madrid snapped a two-game losing streak in La Liga, defeating Celta Vigo 2-1 away and moving just one point behind league leaders Barcelona.
Match Report
Celta, riding a four-game winning streak in all competitions, started strongly. Just five minutes in, Borja Iglesias fired a low shot from 20 yards, forcing Thibaut Courtois to make a save. Real Madrid soon settled into the game, with Vinícius Júnior hitting the post before Aurélien Tchouaméni scored his first league goal of the season in the 11th minute, following a well-worked corner.
Real had won all 18 La Liga games in which they opened the scoring this season, and Celta’s Iglesias tried to break that record with a shot that Courtois saved. However, on 25 minutes, Williot Swedberg set up Iglesias to equalize. The remainder of the first half saw few major chances, aside from Swedberg testing Courtois at the 45th minute.
The second half started slowly, with the first shot only coming in the 60th minute from Celta’s Ferran Jutglà. Real began pressing more, with efforts from Thiago Pitarch and César Palacios blocked, and a potential handball penalty for Celta not given after VAR review.
Late in the game, Real dominated possession but struggled to create clear opportunities. Celta nearly held on, hitting the post through Iago Aspas in the 87th minute, before a poor clearance fell to Valverde. He fired a long-range shot that deflected past Ionuț Radu in the 94th minute, securing a last-gasp victory and extending Real’s unbeaten run in Vigo to since 2014.
