Federico Valverde strikes late as Real Madrid edge Celta Vigo

Federico Valverde scored a dramatic late winner as injury-hit Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday.

The Uruguayan midfielder’s heavily deflected strike in the 95th minute proved decisive, lifting Madrid to within one point of league leaders Barcelona, who are scheduled to face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Aurélien Tchouaméni had earlier given Los Blancos the lead in the opening stages of the match, but Borja Iglesias quickly restored parity for the hosts at the Balaídos Stadium.

Managed by Álvaro Arbeloa, Madrid entered the match without injured striker Kylian Mbappé and were looking to avoid a third consecutive league game without victory after losing their previous two fixtures. Valverde’s late effort ensured they ended that run and kept their title hopes alive.

The decisive goal came when Valverde unleashed a drive from the edge of the penalty area which deflected off former Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso, wrong-footing Celta goalkeeper Ionuț Radu before finding the back of the net.

Speaking after the match, Arbeloa stressed that the title race remains wide open.

“There’s still a long way to go in La Liga and a lot of points left to play for,” he told reporters. “At this stage it almost feels like the league has not even started yet.

“Every match is against a team with its own objectives and each game becomes a battle.

“We came here with ten players unavailable, so I believe this victory deserves a great deal of credit.”

In addition to Mbappé, Madrid were also without several key players including Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Eduardo Camavinga.

Despite the victory, the club’s inconsistent form and lengthy injury list provide little reassurance ahead of next week’s UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Manchester City.

Arbeloa handed 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch his first start for the club, and the youngster delivered a promising performance despite Madrid’s overall struggle to dominate the match.

Celta began brightly, with Iglesias forcing Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into a low save from the edge of the penalty area in the opening exchanges.

Madrid responded well and nearly took the lead when Vinícius Júnior struck the post before Tchouaméni eventually opened the scoring in the 11th minute.

The French midfielder finished superbly from the edge of the box after Madrid worked a corner into his path, with his strike clipping the post on its way into the net.

However, Celta responded quickly, capitalising on defensive lapses from Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international allowed Williot Swedberg to break in behind him and was unable to prevent the Swedish winger from cutting the ball across the area for Iglesias to convert.

Hard-fought contest

Courtois was again called into action before half-time, producing a strong save to deny Swedberg as sixth-placed Celta matched Madrid for large periods of the game.

Madrid appealed for a penalty when Ferran Jutglà handled the ball inside the area, but a VAR review revealed a foul on a Celta defender earlier in the move, meaning no spot-kick was awarded.

Celta appeared close to securing a valuable point when substitute Iago Aspas struck the post late in the match.

However, in the final moments of stoppage time, Valverde’s long-range effort took a decisive deflection off Alonso, leaving Radu stranded and handing Madrid all three points.

“We hardly conceded any chances, and the final shot was well defended, so we are a bit frustrated to lose like that,” Iglesias told Movistar.

Arbeloa expressed hope that the late victory could serve as a turning point for his side.

“I know we can improve in many areas,” he said. “But with the personality and character we showed today, I hope this becomes a turning point and that things improve significantly from here.”