Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior scored to secure a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo on Saturday, drawing the Spanish champions level with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Mbappe, starting amid reports of an investigation into an alleged rape during a visit to Sweden, opened the scoring for Madrid. The 25-year-old, who had faced criticism for missing France’s recent Nations League matches, dismissed the allegations as “fake news.”
Celta Vigo’s Williot Swedberg equalized early in the second half, but Vinicius netted the winning goal in the 66th minute to maintain Real Madrid’s unbeaten run, now extending to 42 La Liga matches.
Madrid, who face Barcelona in El Clasico next weekend, were pleased with the result after the international break. “When they equalized, our substitutions brought new energy, and it was a crucial win,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
With captain Dani Carvajal out for months, Ancelotti adjusted his lineup, playing Lucas Vazquez as a wing-back in a three-centre-back system. Despite some defensive vulnerabilities, Madrid remained a threat in attack, though they initially struggled to create clear chances.
Mbappe put Madrid ahead with a powerful long-range strike after Eduardo Camavinga set him up following a Celta error. It was Mbappe’s sixth league goal of the season and his eighth in 12 appearances since joining from Paris Saint-Germain.
Celta, however, kept pressing, and Swedberg equalized in the 51st minute with a calm finish from Oscar Mingueza’s low cross. Vinicius thought he had restored Madrid’s lead, but his goal was ruled out for offside against Mbappe in the buildup.
Ancelotti then brought on Luka Modric, who became Madrid’s oldest player, surpassing Ferenc Puskas. Modric made an immediate impact, providing a pinpoint pass for Vinicius to score the decisive goal.
Celta pushed for a late equalizer, but Thibaut Courtois made crucial saves, and Anastasios Douvikas missed a golden chance in stoppage time.
After the match, Celta midfielder Fran Beltran expressed frustration, saying, “We went toe-to-toe with Real Madrid and were better for much of the game, but our mistakes cost us.”
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao climbed to fourth with a 4-1 victory over Espanyol.