Celta 1-2 Real Madrid: Valverde's last-gasp winner seals victory for Los Blancos

Federico Valverde scored a 94th-minute winner as Real Madrid ended a two-match losing run in La Liga by winning 2-1 away at Celta Vigo, moving to within a point of leaders Barcelona as a result.

Match Report

With four wins in a row in all competitions, Celta came into this as the form side, and were intent on continuing their run five minutes in when Borja Iglesias drilled a low effort from 20 yards, which forced Thibaut Courtois down low to keep it out. But when Vinícius Júnior got in behind and rolled an effort against the post soon after, the visitors found their rhythm, and after an Aurélien Tchouaméni shot was deflected out for a corner, Real cleverly worked the resulting corner to the Frenchman, who swept in his first league goal of the season in the 11th minute.

Real had won all 18 previous LaLiga matches they had opened the scoring in this season, a record Iglesias seemed keen to end when he latched onto a through ball but was again denied by the fingertips of Courtois. However, the striker would not be denied a third time, as on 25 minutes, Williot Swedberg brushed off Trent Alexander-Arnold on the left and squared for Iglesias to turn home the equaliser. That goal seemed to put an end to the big chances before the break, until the 45-minute mark when Swedberg tested Courtois’ reflexes with a powerful side-footed shot.

Despite some intricate build-up play at both ends, it wasn’t until a corner to the near post was looped up into Courtois’ hands by Ferran Jutglà in the 60th minute that the second half had a shot. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side finally showed some attacking intent soon after, as shots from youngsters Thiago Pitarch and César Palacios were both well blocked by Carl Starfelt, before they were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for handball by Jutglà at a corner. The Celta forward looked guilty as a lengthy VAR check took place, only for the hosts to be awarded a free-kick for a push by Palacios in the melee.

Los Blancos continued to have the majority of the late territory but weren’t turning it into chances, and came within inches of paying for that three minutes from time when Iago Aspas took aim inside the box and saw his effort bounce back off the post. The Sky Blues looked to have held out and gone six unbeaten in all competitions, only for a poor clearance to fall to Valverde, whose strike from 25 yards to take a huge deflection on its way past Ionuț Radu and win the game in the last minute for the visitors, who remain unbeaten in Vigo since 2014.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' Borja Iglesias takes a mid-range shot, but the ball sails high over the bar

12' GOAL! Tchouameni nets an early goal as Brahim assists! Celta 0-1 Real Madrid

16' Borja Iglesias is adjudged to have been offside when making his run

25' GOAL! Borja receives a precise pass and equalizes! Celta 1-1 Real Madrid

31' Yellow Card! Borja Iglesias is booked for his harsh tackle on Tchouameni

46' Swedberg unleashes a decent strike, but Courtois makes a comfortable save

62' Guler is down in the box but the ref takes no action

64' Pitarch collects a pass and fires a shot which canons off a defender to safety

66' Arda Guler is given a rest as he is replaced by Cesar Palacios

68' Palacios receives a pass but his effort hits one of the opposition and goes wide

73' Handball by one of the Celta players in the box, but no pen after a VAR check

90'+4' GOAL! Celta 1-2 Real Madrid (Valverde)

Line-ups

Celta XI: Alonso, Iglesias, Carl Starfelt, Radu, Carreira, Óscar Mingueza, Ferran Jutglà, Ilaix Moriba, Williot Swedberg, Miguel Román, Javi Rodríguez

Subs: Aspas, Vecino, Villar, Aidoo, Álvaro Núñez, Manu Fernández, Javier Rueda, Carlos Domínguez, Hugo Sotelo, Hugo Álvarez, Jones El-Abdellaoui, Fer López

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Rudiger, F Mendy, Alexander-Arnold, Valverde, Brahim, Tchouameni, Vinicius, Güler, Raúl Asencio, Thiago Pitarch

Subs: Carvajal, Lunin, Fran García, Manuel Ángel, Gonzalo García, César Palacios, Sergio Mestre, Jorge Cestero, Diego Aguado, Lamini Domingos Fati Joao