- Real Madrid held off a late Celta comeback to secure a 3:2 home victory in La Liga round 34
- Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Arda Guler added one, giving Los Blancos a 3:0 lead before the hour mark
- Javi Rodriguez and Williot Swedberg scored for the visitors, but it was not enough to avoid defeat
Key Takeaways:
Real Madrid recorded a home victory with a 3:2 scoreline against Celta in an exciting match that opened Sunday’s schedule in round 34 of La Liga. Los Blancos gained a solid lead through Arda Guler in the 33rd minute and a double from Kylian Mbappe (39’, 48’), but were forced to hang on for the win after goals from Javi Rodriguez and substitute Williot Swedberg for the visitors.
35 goals in in his debut season.
Kylian Mbappé has picked up speed at Real Madrid ⚡ pic.twitter.com/SfjmGSt3i3
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 4, 2025
Nothing remarkable occurred until the 33rd minute when Los Blancos executed a rehearsed corner, and Guler fired a powerful shot into the net to open the scoring. Just six minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage. Courtois saved a dangerous effort from Iglesias and launched a quick counter-attack, which ended with Mbappe striking from the edge of the box despite slipping at the moment of contact. Not long after, Oscar Mingueza tested Courtois with a long-range effort, but the goalkeeper dealt with it calmly.
The start of the second half confirmed the strong form of both Guler and Mbappe. In the 47th minute, the Turkish midfielder assisted the French striker, who added his second goal with a low finish to make it 3:0.
In the 68th minute, Mingueza’s shot deflected off his teammate Swedberg and went out, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano made a clear mistake by awarding a corner. From the set-piece, Lucas Vazquez failed to clear properly, and Rodriguez capitalised to cut the deficit to 3:1.
In the 76th minute, captain Iago Aspas, who had just entered the pitch, delivered a clever pass to Swedberg, who scored to make it 3:2. Just three minutes later, Celta nearly equalised when Pablo Duran’s low shot slipped under Courtois, but the Belgian keeper managed to slow the ball and stop it before it crossed the goal line.
In the final minutes, both sides missed chances to score again, but Madrid held firm to collect the three points.
Following their fourth straight league win, Real Madrid remain second with 75 points, four behind leaders Barcelona ahead of the upcoming El Clasico. Celta sit seventh in the table with 46 points.