Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo: La Liga 2025 thrilling 3-2 win,

On May 4, 2025, Real Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 3-2 in the 34th round of La Liga at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. Although Real Madrid maintained complete control in the first half, Celta Vigo’s brilliant comeback in the second half made the game exciting. Two goals from Kylian Mbappe and a brilliant performance from Arda Güler gave Real the victory, which kept the La Liga title race alive.

Background of the match

Going into the final stages of the 2025 La Liga season, Real Madrid were 4 points behind Barcelona in the title race. Real, who had lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final last week, needed to win this match, especially before next week’s El Clasico. Celta Vigo, a team in seventh place and fighting for a European spot, were aiming to maintain their strong form (only two defeats in their last 11 games) against Real. Real Madrid’s history of beating or drawing Celta in their previous 18 meetings gave them a psychological advantage.

Team composition

Real Madrid (playing 11):

* Thibaut Courtois (goalkeeper)

* Lucas Vázquez, Aurelien Choumeni, Marco Asensio, Fran Garcia

* Federico Valverde, Dani Ceballos, Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham

* Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe

Celta Vigo (playing 11):

* Vicente Guaita (goalkeeper)

* Xavi Rodriguez, Carlos Domínguez Lago, Marcos Alonso, Josep Carrera

* Alejandro Mingueza, Fran Beltrán, Coquelin Moriba, Pablo Durán

* Williet Swedberg, Borja Iglesias

Real Madrid have replaced Choumeni with Rodrygo (illness) and Rudiger, Mendy, and Alaba (injury). In the centre of the defence. Celta benched Iago Aspas, giving Swedenborg and Duran a chance in attack.

Real Madrid started the game with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe attacking, while Celta brought Marcos Alonso forward. Alonso created two chances on Courtois’ goal in the first minute, but Courtois made easy saves. Real counter-attacked in the sixth minute with Valverde’s long-range shot, but Guita held on.

First half: Real’s dominance

Real Madrid controlled the game in the first half. In the 15th minute, Vinicius Junior cut in from the left, but Guita saved. Celta attempted a counter-attack, but the defensive duo of Choumeni and Asensio kept out Mingueza.

33rd minute – First goal (Arda Güler):

The turning point of the game came in the 33rd minute. Real took a short corner, where Lucas Vázquez played a one-two with Arda Güler. Güler fired a superb curling shot with his left foot from a tight angle, which deflected slightly off the defender and into the top corner of the goal. The score was 1-0. Güler’s goal showed his form and creativity.

39th minute – Second goal (Kylian Mbappe):

Six minutes later, Real added a goal on the counter-attack. Jude Bellingham lobbed a pass from midfield, which Mbappe beat Celta’s defence and fired a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box. Guita was unable to touch the ball, and the score was 2-0. Mbappe’s goal demonstrated the intensity of Real’s counter-attack and his finishing ability.

Celta had a chance late in the first half through Pablo Duran, but Fran Garcia made a tackle to clear the danger. Real ended the half with 58.3% possession, 7 shots (3 on target) and 3 corners.

Second half: Celta’s comeback and Real’s resilience

Real stepped up their attack early in the second half.

48th minute – Third goal (Kylian Mbappe):

In the third minute of the half, Arda Güler produced a superb through ball, which Mbappe showed pace and control to slot home with his left foot into the bottom right corner of the goal. It was his 24th La Liga goal of the season, putting him one goal behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. The score was 3-0, and Real looked set for an easy win.

54th minute – Real change:

Carlo Ancelotti brought on Luka Modric for Dani Ceballos, adding more creativity to the midfield. Celta also replaced Borja Iglesias with Iago Aspas, adding a new dimension to the attack.

69th minute – Celta’s first goal (Xavi Rodriguez):

Celta signaled a comeback in the 69th minute. Real’s defence failed to clear a corner from Sotelo, and Xavi Rodriguez scored from close range. The score was 3-1, and Celta’s hopes of getting back into the game were high. The goal exposed the weaknesses in Real’s defence that had been hampered by injuries.

76th minute – Celta’s second goal (Williot Svedberg):

Seven minutes later, Celta added another goal. Iago Aspas played a great through ball into the box, which Williot Svedberg beat Courtois to score. The score was 3-2, and tension rose at the Bernabeu. This Celta comeback shocked the Real supporters.

The final minutes:

Celta pressed hard for an equaliser in the final 10 minutes. In the 82nd minute, Aspas played another pass to Pablo Duran, but Courtois made a brilliant save from his powerful shot. In the 85th minute, Jude Bellingham fired a shot on the counter, but Gueye saved. Real replaced Arda Güler with Brahim Diaz in the 87th minute, bringing in fresh legs.

In the final minute of the match, Vinicius Junior was stopped by Mingueza, and Bellingham’s shot went over the crossbar. Courtois saved Aspas’ last-gasp effort to seal the win for Real. Real finished the match 3-2.

Key moments of the match

* Arda Güler’s goal (33rd minute): Güler’s curling shot gave Real the lead and showcased his creativity.

* Kylian Mbappe’s first goal (39th minute): Bellingham’s lobbed pass and Mbappe’s finish showed the power of Real’s counterattack.

* Mbappe’s second goal (48th minute): Güler’s through ball and Mbappe’s goal gave Real an easy lead.

* Celta’s comeback (69th and 76th minutes): Goals from Xavi Rodriguez and Willyt Svedberg made the game exciting.

* Courtois save (82nd minute): Courtois saved Duran’s shot to secure the win for Real.

Match statistics

* Ball possession: Real Madrid 58.3%, Celta Vigo 41.7%

* Shots: Real 13 (5 on target), Celta 8 (4 on target)

* Corner kicks: Real 4, Celta 6

* Saves: Real (Courtois) 3, Celta (Guaita) 3

* Yellow cards: Real 1, Celta 1

* Attendance: 67,661

Standout performances

* Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid): Man of the match with two goals and a consistent threat. His 24 goals put him firmly in the running for the La Liga Golden Boot.

* Arda Güler (Real Madrid): His creativity and finishing, with one goal and one assist, enlivened Real’s attack.

* Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo): Came off the bench to provide an assist and create a constant threat, which made Celta’s comeback possible.

* Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid): Made last-minute saves from Duran and Aspas to seal the win for Real.

Post-match analysis

The win kept Real Madrid alive in the La Liga title race, which now sits four points clear of Barcelona. “We played well in the first half, but in the second half we were weak,” Federico Valverde told Real Madrid TV after the game. “Celta are a strong team, and they made it difficult for us.” “Now we will be ready for next Sunday,” Courtois said, looking ahead to next week’s Barcelona game.

Celta Vigo showed improvement in their agility and attacking play, but their efforts were insufficient to overturn Real’s early lead. “We played well in the last 20 minutes, but the early goals set us back,” the coach said after the match. Celta will now focus on the remaining matches for a European place.

Conclusion

The Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo match was one of the most exciting moments of the La Liga season. Star performances from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Güler, Celta’s second-half comeback, and Courtois’ last-minute heroics made the match unforgettable. Real Madrid have built a strong morale for El Clasico with this victory, while Celta’s resilience has kept their European dream alive. The match gave football fans a glimpse of the competitiveness and excitement of La Liga.