It was a nightmare evening at the Santiago Bernabéu. Outplayed, out of ideas, and reduced to nine men, Real Madrid fell 2–0 at home to a fearless Celta Vigo side. To make matters worse, Éder Militão left injured, while Fran García and Álvaro Carreras were both shown red cards.
- Real Madrid 0-2 Celta Vigo : Swedberg 54’ 90+3
The assignment was simple for Real: close the gap to Barcelona. A win would have brought Xabi Alonso’s men back within one point of their rivals. But with Celta committed to a counterattacking game plan, Madrid struggled to find any openings. Chances were scarce in the first half. Bellingham’s header forced Radu into a sharp save, while efforts from Güler and Vinícius lacked bite. The biggest moment, however, was the injury to Militão, who pulled up clutching his thigh while sprinting to catch Pablo Durán. After the absences of Alexander-Arnold, the relapse of Mendy, and injuries to Alaba and Militão, Real’s defensive crisis deepens.
The second half brought no improvement. Madrid kept running into Vigo’s compact block, and with every failed attempt to create danger, they opened themselves up to counters. After Durán threatened twice before the break, Williot Swedberg punished Madrid with a brilliant backheel finish—equal parts clever and precise. Moments later, Swedberg drew the first red card of the night when Fran García charged into him in frustration.
Madrid, still toothless, completely unraveled. Álvaro Carreras lost his composure and was sent off for vehement dissent. At that point, Real were broken, and Celta made the most of the chaos as Swedberg struck again to seal the upset.
A disastrous night for Real Madrid—and for Xabi Alonso.