Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid: VAR decisive as Los Blancos close gap to Barcelona

Real Madrid fought to a crucial 2-1 win away to Celta Vigo, to close the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona going into the title run it.

A late goal from Fede Valverde in the 95th minute sealed a remarkable victory for Los Blancos as they overcame a stubborn Celta Vigo side to close the gap to Barcelona to just one point.

Celta Vigo came into the match in red-hot form with four straight wins and nearly made the perfect start against Real Madrid. Just five minutes in, Borja Iglesias fired a low strike from 20 yards that forced Thibaut Courtois into a sharp save.

Real Madrid responded quickly when Vinícius Júnior raced in behind and hit the post, before the visitors took control. From a cleverly worked corner, Aurélien Tchouaméni swept home in the 11th minute for his first LaLiga goal of the season.

Madrid had won all 18 league matches in which they had scored first this season, but Celta pushed hard to break that trend.

Iglesias was denied twice by Courtois before finally equalising in the 25th minute after Williot Swedberg powered past Trent Alexander-Arnold and squared the ball for an easy finish. Swedberg nearly gave Celta the lead just before half-time, forcing another strong save from Courtois.

The second half produced fewer chances, though Celta thought they might earn a penalty after a lengthy VAR review. Madrid dominated possession late on but struggled to create clear opportunities.

With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Celta almost snatched victory when Iago Aspas struck the post. However, a poor clearance fell to Federico Valverde, whose deflected 25-yard strike in the final minute sealed a dramatic win for Madrid.