Celta came close to victory at Abanca Balaídos but ultimately suffered a cruel defeat against Real Madrid in stoppage time after a closely contested match from the opening whistle.
In the opening stages, the Whites started strongly, monopolizing possession and taking an early lead. After Vinícius hit the post with an early warning shot, Arbeloa’s side took advantage of a corner, with Tchouaméni picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box and slotting it past the keeper to open the scoring for the Merengues.
A setback that Celta quickly countered with a direct and well-executed attack. Óscar Mingueza spotted space on the left flank, Williot got behind the defense, and calmly laid the ball off to Borja Iglesias before the half-hour mark.
From then on, the game shifted. Claudio Giráldez’s side shook off the initial pressure, balanced possession, and began to create the clearest chances. A shot from Williot Swedberg forced Courtois into action, and shortly after, Ferran Jutglà also tried his luck, though without enough angle to finish.
In the second half, Real Madrid had more possession, but Celta defended with discipline and a compact formation, closing down the central spaces and minimizing the opposition’s attacking threat. Vinícius made intermittent appearances, and Radu was rarely called into action. The final stages belonged to Celta. With the introduction of Iago Aspas, the team gained composure and posed a threat between the lines, and the captain himself almost scored the winning goal in the 86th minute with a solo effort that struck the post.
When a draw seemed the most likely outcome, the decisive blow arrived. In stoppage time, after a questionable challenge, Valverde unleashed a shot from the edge of the box that beat Radu.
A cruel end for a competitive and courageous Celta side, capable of challenging one of La Liga’s giants, who ultimately went unrewarded. Now it’s time to think about European competition, as Abanca Balaídos will once again be dressed up to host the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Olympique Lyonnais next Thursday, March 12, at 9:00 p.m.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
1 – Celta: Andrei Radu; Javi Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso; Óscar Mingueza (Iago Aspas, min. 83), Ilaix Moriba (Matías Vecino, min. 90), Miguel Román, Sergio Carreira; Ferran Jutglà (Hugo Álvarez, min. 70), Williot Swedberg (Jones El-Abdellaoui, min. 70) and Borja Iglesias (Fer López, min. 70).
2 – Real Madrid: Courtois; Trent, Rüdiger, Asencio, Mendy; Fede Valverde, Tchouaméni, Thiago Pitarch (Manuel Ángel, min. 90); Vinícius, Güler (Palacios, min. 65) and Brahim (Gonzalo, min. 77).
Goals: 0-1, min. 11: Tchouaméni. 1-1, min. 25: Borja Iglesias. 1-2, min 90+4: Fede Valverde.
Referee: Díaz de Mera (Castilla-La Mancha Committee). For Celta, he booked Borja Iglesias with a yellow card. For Real Madrid, Tchouaméni and Asencio were shown yellow cards.
Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 27 of Laliga EA Sports played at Abanca Balaídos in front of 22,048 spectators. Before the match, a tribute was paid to Madonna with a performance on the pitch by SonDeSeu.
