Real Madrid could not overcome Celta de Vigo in their return to the Santiago Bernabéu (0-1) and relived their crisis of play and results in LaLiga. Despite the good feelings the team left against Athletic (0-3), matchday 15 brought back the worst version of the 'merengues', with Kylian Mbappé missing, a patched-up defense, and a midfield lacking ideas.

Xabi Alonso improvised in defense again, placing Raúl Asencio at right-back due to Alexander-Arnold's absence. Before halftime, the Tolosa native had to bring in Antonio Rüdiger to replace Eder Militao, who appeared to suffer a tear and is likely facing another concerning injury

After a goalless first half, Madrid found themselves trailing in the 54th minute thanks to a spectacular goal from Williot Swedberg. The Whites failed to react to the 0-1 deficit and, to make matters worse, were reduced to ten men after the absurd expulsion, for a second yellow card, of Fran García.

In the final stretch, beyond the siege on the rival's area due to the Galician defensive retreat, **the locals were unable to even reach a draw**. Thus, Barça, which thrashed Betis (3-5) on Saturday, extends its lead at the top, now by 4 points after 16 matchdays played

Madrid tried more in an eventful first half at the Bernabéu

Celta played an intelligent game, with a low block to reduce spaces and try to neutralize the usual overflows of Vinicius and Mbappé. Pablo Durán warned in the 6th minute with a shot deflected by Carreras to the corner, while Real took 20 minutes to reach the rival's area with danger

A header from Bellingham tested Radu's reflexes, who was also alert to contain a shot from Vinicius, after a long ball, before halftime. Durán, again in the 40th minute, troubled Courtois with a one-on-one shot. Minutes earlier, Militao tore his muscle after a run to cut off a clear chance for the '18' as he entered the box.

Williot Swedberg Knocked Out Real Madrid with a Screamer

At halftime, coach Claudio Giráldez brought in the Swede Williot Swedberg in place of Pablo Durán, seeking more speed for counterattacks. In the 54th minute, the substitute took advantage of a cross from Bryan Zaragoza from the wing to finish with a backheel, with the 'Merengue' defense standing by passively.

Xabi Alonso took Asensio off to put Rodrygo on the right, but Real Madrid's spirits plummeted after the 0-1. Between the 62nd and 64th minutes, the Whites committed three absurd fouls, deserving of cards for Bellingham and Fran García.

The latter received two yellow cards in a row, within a span of 59 seconds, which led to his expulsion by the referee Alejandro Quintero González. In this way, Real Madrid broke a streak of 57 consecutive home league matches.

New embarrassment for a Madrid that is 4 points behind Barça

Mbappé, completely absent from the match, only took his first shot of the night in the 74th minute, a high effort after a good pass from Tchouaméni. Celta retreated into their own half in the final minutes to protect the clean sheet, but Real Madrid never found a way to reach the opponent's box with clarity

The substitution of Gonzalo for Arda Güler did not significantly alter the course of the match. The home team controlled possession, although they did not create any clear chances in the final minutes, except for a header by Gonzalo that went slightly high.

To add insult to injury, in stoppage time, Álvaro Carreras was also sent off in the 90+2 minute for protesting a yellow card to the referee. Just after that, a lethal counter-attack by Celta led to Swedberg's second goal, assisted by Iago Aspas, who ended up dribbling past Courtois and pushing the ball into an empty netWith the defeat, Xabi Alonso's team is now 4 points behind Barça in the fight for the lead, after suffering their second defeat of the season, the first at home. Celta, moreover, won at the Bernabéu for the first time in 19 years, ended a streak of 15 consecutive defeats against the Whites, and consolidated their position in the mid-table.

The Tolosarra coach's tenure, should they lose next Wednesday in the Champions League against Manchester City, could be much closer to its end, following the team's poor performance at home and bad results over the last month (they lost 9 of the last 15 points played).

Match Report: Real Madrid 0-2 Celta de Vigo

  • Real Madrid, 0: Courtois; Asensio (Rodrygo, min. 55), Militao, Carreras, Fran García; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler (Gonzalo, min. 75); Bellingham, Vinícius and Mbappé.
  • Celta de Vigo, 2: Radu; Marcos Alonso, Starfelt, Javi Rodríguez; Mingueza (Jutglá, min. 71), Moriba, Román (Beltrán, min. 85), Carreira; Bryan Zaragoza (Javi Rueda, min. 71), Durán (Swedberg, min. 46) and Borja Iglesias (Iago Aspas, min. 88).
  • Goals: 0-1, Williot Swedberg (min. 54); 0-2, Williot Swedberg (min. 90+3).
  • Referee: Alejandro Quintero González. He cautioned Jude Bellingham, Fran García, Álvaro Carreras, Fede Valverde and Rodrygo for Real Madrid. He sent off Fran García in the second half for a second yellow card. He also sent off Álvaro Carreras with a direct red. For Celta, he cautioned Ilaix Moriba.
  • Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu.
  • Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 15 of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26.