Real Madrid hosts Celta Vigo on Sunday in a crucial La Liga fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu, with significant implications for the title race.
Los Blancos are under intense pressure to deliver, especially after their recent Copa del Rey exit at the hands of archrivals Barcelona. A win is essential for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to maintain momentum in La Liga and stay firmly in the hunt for the championship.
Despite their recent domestic victories, Real Madrid enters this match with added urgency. El Clasico looms just around the corner, and any dropped points against Celta Vigo could be costly in the title race. Fortunately for Madrid, history is on their side—Celta has failed to defeat them in their last 18 meetings, with the capital club winning 15 of those encounters. In their last clash at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid coasted to a commanding 4-0 win.
Still, this version of Celta Vigo is no pushover. They’ve quietly put together an impressive stretch of form, losing just two of their last 11 La Liga matches and climbing into contention for European places.
Their recent victory over Villarreal and a resilient Copa del Rey performance earlier this year—where they forced extra time with two late goals—highlight their ability to challenge elite teams.
On the other hand, Celta Vigo are comfortably placed 7th in the table, and although they do have a chance to finish 5th at least and earn a spot in the Champions League, that seems unlikely since they are 12 points behind and just 5 games remain in the season.
However, they surely won’t go down without a fight, especially considering their history with Los Blancos and how they’ve given the men in white a tough time.
As always, Iago Aspas, the visitors’ captain and leading goal-scorer, will be the danger man, along with Borja Iglesias – the duo scoring 9 goals each in La Liga.
Aspas, in particular, has a knack for scoring crucial goals and steps up in big games. Since Real Madrid has a vulnerable defense, the Spaniard will look to take his chances. Defensively, even Celta are penetrable, and the duo of Vinicius and Mbappe will look to cause trouble to the away side.
These sides have met twice this season, with Los Blancos winning both ties – once in a close encounter at the Balaidos, followed by the Copa Del Rey quarter-final where the Merengues scored 5 past them.
This game is expected to be a cracking encounter as Celta Vigo looks to be a thorn in Madrid’s race to the league title. A loss here will surely put an end to any title-winning hopes for the men in white.
