In a shocking turn of events, Real Madrid suffered a defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo in La Liga, with the visitors ending the match with nine men, thereby intensifying the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso. The loss leaves second-placed Real Madrid four points adrift of leaders Barcelona, having managed just one win in their last five La Liga encounters, and with a Champions League clash against Manchester City looming on Wednesday.
“We are all angry, and clearly, this wasn’t the game or result we desired,” Alonso expressed, striving to put a positive spin on the situation. “We must endeavour to turn the page as swiftly as possible. It’s merely three points. We have the Champions League fixture against City to bounce back and rid ourselves of this bitter taste.”
The tide turned against Real Madrid seven minutes into the second half when substitute Williot Swedberg scored an ingenious goal, his first league strike of the season, to give Celta an unexpected lead. The situation deteriorated further in the 64th minute as Real Madrid were reduced to ten men following Fran Garcia’s double booking. The implosion continued in the 92nd minute with Alvaro Carreras’ dismissal, earning two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent and foul language, leaving Real Madrid with nine players. Swedberg capitalized on the numerical advantage, netting a second goal as Celta Vigo celebrated their first La Liga win over Real Madrid since May 2014, snapping a 22-game winless streak.
Earlier in the week, Alonso had disclosed discussions with club president Florentino Perez regarding the team’s dip in form, and tensions appeared to escalate further when he was booked during the match, a sign of the growing unease at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid squandered several chances, with Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe hitting the woodwork, as the night ultimately belonged to Celta Vigo.
