Mbappe and Vinicius Lead Madrid to Victory Over Celta Vigo

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Share post to:

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior found the back of the net as Real Madrid secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday, drawing level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Mbappe, who has recently been the subject of reports linking him to an investigation in Sweden, opened the scoring for the Spanish champions. Despite the off-field controversy, the 25-year-old French striker made headlines on the pitch, netting the opener after being set up by Eduardo Camavinga. The forward had earlier come under fire in France for missing his country’s Nations League fixtures, with the Swedish media reports following his international break trip, which Mbappe dismissed as “fake news.”

Williot Swedberg equalized for Celta Vigo, briefly giving the hosts hope, but Vinicius Junior’s decisive goal in the 66th minute ensured Madrid’s unbeaten La Liga run continued, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Barcelona in El Clasico next weekend.

With captain Dani Carvajal sidelined due to a long-term injury, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti adjusted his defense, opting for a three-man backline and utilizing Lucas Vazquez as a wing-back. This tactical shift gave Celta Vigo opportunities in attack, but Madrid’s attacking quality shone through at crucial moments.

In the first half, Celta’s Swedberg was denied by a sharp save from Thibaut Courtois, while Madrid’s chances were limited despite their pressure. Mbappe broke the deadlock with a stunning strike from outside the box, marking his first long-range goal for Madrid and his sixth in the league since joining from Paris Saint-Germain.

Celta fought back, and Borja Iglesias thought he had equalized, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The game remained lively, with Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham coming close for Madrid before Swedberg slotted home a calm equalizer for the hosts after an assist from former Barcelona defender Oscar Mingueza.

Vinicius had a goal disallowed for offside, but Madrid regained control when veteran midfielder Luka Modric, who made history as the club’s oldest player, came off the bench. Within minutes, the Croatian maestro set up Vinicius for the winner with a perfectly weighted pass, allowing the Brazilian to fire past Vicente Guaita.

Celta continued to push for a late equalizer, but Courtois stood firm, denying Jonathan Bamba and watching as substitute Anastasios Douvikas missed a golden opportunity in stoppage time.

The win keeps Madrid level with Barcelona atop La Liga, setting up an eagerly anticipated Clasico showdown next weekend.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments