Kylian Mbappe struck twice as Real Madrid edged out Celta Vigo in a thrilling contest to stay in close pursuit of La Liga leaders Barcelona ahead of next weekend’s El Clasico.
The hosts opened the scoring after 33 minutes when Arda Guler took advantage of a short corner routine and saw his curling effort find the top corner, helped slightly by a deflection. Six minutes later, Madrid’s lead was extended through Mbappe, who powered a shot past Vicente Guaita after a quick breakaway.
Early in the second half, the French forward added his second of the night. Latching onto a precise pass from Guler, Mbappe calmly finished with his left foot into the far corner, giving Madrid a comfortable three-goal advantage.
Celta fight back with late goals
Despite the deficit, Celta Vigo did not back down. Javi Rodriguez reduced the gap midway through the second half by capitalizing on Madrid’s failure to deal with a corner, scoring from close range.
The visitors made it a one-goal game with 14 minutes remaining. Iago Aspas, having come off the bench, produced a perfectly timed assist to find Williot Swedberg, who finished confidently to make it 3-2. Just moments later, Pablo Duran nearly completed the comeback when he was played in again by Aspas. His shot slipped under Thibaut Courtois, but the Madrid goalkeeper managed to stop it from crossing the line.
Madrid hold on in tense finish
The closing stages were frantic, with both sides creating opportunities as the match opened up. However, Madrid managed to withstand the pressure and secure a vital win.
The result puts Real Madrid within four points of Barcelona with a crucial clash against their rivals coming up next Sunday. A fifth consecutive league victory would move them just a point behind with three matches left in the campaign. Celta, meanwhile, remain in seventh place as they continue their push for European qualification.
