Real Madrid fell to their second La Liga defeat of the season as Celta Vigo recorded a stunning victory at the Bernabéu – their first win over Los Blancos since May 2014.
Xabi Alonso’s side dominated possession throughout a tense first half but failed to make their pressure count. Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler and Vinícius Júnior all squandered promising openings, with Güler missing the clearest when he guided a left-footed effort wide from around 10 yards.
Madrid’s difficulties grew when Éder Militão was forced off early with a suspected hamstring injury, further disrupting the hosts’ rhythm.
Nine minutes after the restart, Celta punished Madrid’s wastefulness. A sharp passing move ended with Bryan Zaragoza delivering a precise cross for Williot Swedberg, who beat Thibaut Courtois with an audacious back-heeled finish to give the visitors the lead.
Madrid’s evening deteriorated further on 62 minutes. Fran García, already booked for a foul on Sergio Carreira, flew into another challenge on Swedberg and was shown a second yellow card by referee Alejandro Quintero González.
Despite being reduced to ten men, Madrid pressed aggressively in search of an equaliser. Five minutes of added time were signalled, but the hosts could not break through a resolute Celta defence.
Their frustration boiled over when Álvaro Carreras was sent off for dissent in stoppage time, leaving Madrid with nine men. Moments later, Swedberg calmly rounded Courtois and rolled the ball into an empty net to secure his second goal of the evening and confirm Madrid’s first home league defeat of the campaign.
The result leaves Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona in the title race as the season approaches its final fixtures in 2025. Pressure on Alonso, who had seen his team top the table by five points after winning El Clásico on 27 October, has intensified following an increasingly underwhelming run.
The challenge for Madrid does not ease, with Manchester City visiting the Bernabéu in the Champions League on Wednesday.
