Real Madrid crashed to a damaging 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo on Sunday. Real finished the game with nine men after red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras.
Williot Swedberg broke the deadlock seven minutes after the restart for Celta. He flicked a composed finish into the bottom corner just moments after coming off the bench in the 53rd minute. This was his first league goal of the season. Real Madrid’s situation unravelled quickly, following the 64th-minute sending off of Fran García for two yellow-card offences. The tension was evident as Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso himself received a yellow card in the 72nd minute.
The chaos deepened at the 92nd minute as substitute Álvaro Carreras was dismissed for two quick yellow cards. The first one for dissent and another for offensive language. Swedberg struck again a minute after, punishing the disorganized hosts to seal a memorable night for Celta.
Despite dominating possession, Real failed to convert their chances. Arda Güler came close with a narrow miss from close range, while Kylian Mbappé’s attempted chip sailed just over the bar. Adding to Madrid’s concerns, defender Éder Militão limped off in the 23rd minute with a hamstring injury, days after Trent Alexander-Arnold was ruled out for two months with a thigh issue.
The loss keeps Real second in the table, four points behind leaders Barcelona. Meanwhile, Celta rise to 10th. Madrid now shifts their focus to a crucial Champions League showdown at home against Manchester City on Wednesday.
The defeat ended Celta’s 22-match winless run against Real in La Liga, dating back to May 2014.
Leave a comment