Celta Shock Bernabeu as Madrid Lose Control
Real Madrid’s title ambitions suffered a major blow after an ill-tempered 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo, a result defined by missed chances, red cards and ruthless finishing from the visitors.
Real Madrid endured a night to forget at the Santiago Bernabeu as Celta Vigo claimed a stunning 2-0 victory, their first at the famous stadium in nearly two decades. What began as a one-sided affair in terms of chances ended in disbelief, controversy and discipline issues for the hosts.
Los Blancos dominated the first half but were wasteful in front of goal. Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe all went close, only to be repeatedly denied by a resolute Celta defence and an inspired display from goalkeeper Ionut Radu. By the break, Madrid had built a commanding expected goals total without finding a breakthrough.
That inefficiency came back to haunt them eight minutes after the restart. Celta struck with precision when Bryan Zaragoza whipped in a low cross from the left, and substitute Williot Swedberg produced a clever first-time finish to silence the Bernabeu and put the visitors ahead against the run of play.
Matters quickly unraveled for Madrid. Fran Garcia received two bookings within a minute for reckless challenges and was sent off, leaving the hosts chasing the game with ten men. Frustration boiled over as chances continued to go begging, with Mbappe, Rodrygo, Valverde and Tchouameni all failing to convert from promising positions.
The chaos deepened in stoppage time. Alvaro Carreras was first booked for dissent before being shown a straight red for abusive language towards the referee, reducing Real Madrid to nine men. With the defence exposed, Celta countered ruthlessly.
Iago Aspas slipped a perfectly weighted pass through to Swedberg, who rounded Thibaut Courtois and tapped into an empty net to seal a famous victory. It capped a night of composure and discipline from Celta and one of growing anger and indiscipline from Madrid.
Despite posting an xG of 2.29, Real Madrid failed to score, while Celta made the most of their key moments. The defeat leaves Los Blancos four points behind Barcelona and squanders a chance to keep pace in the title race. Celta, meanwhile, climb into the top half of the table and within touching distance of the European places.
For Madrid, it was a harsh lesson in efficiency and emotional control. For Celta Vigo, it was a historic night built on resilience, belief and perfect timing.
