Who: Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Content: Spanish La Liga
Location: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
Date and time: Sunday, December 7th, 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll bring you everything on Al Jazeera Sports from 17:00 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
Real Madrid will be looking for their second win in five top-flight games when they face Celta Vigo in La Liga on Saturday, and if they achieve that they will close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to just one point.
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This is supposed to be a game in which the teams that have won the Spanish domestic league in the past are the big favorites, but while Barcelona has risen to the top thanks to their recent good form, questions have also been raised about manager Xabi Alonso.
Al Jazeera Sports will highlight Celta’s impressive away performances this season, with the potential for an upset, but much of the attention will also be on Real’s free-scoring forward Kylian Mbappé.
Why is Mbappé being compared to Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo?
French superstar Mbappe is on the verge of making history at Real Madrid, just like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Xabi Alonso said on Saturday.
Having finished last season on a high, Mbappé has made a great start to this season and will now score 55 goals for Real Madrid in 2025, leaving him just four goals shy of the club’s all-time top scorer record of 59, set by Ronaldo in 2013.
Mbappe is increasingly being compared to Madrid’s all-time top scorer Ronaldo in the Spanish press for his growing influence and ability to rack up goals.
“Kylian, like Cristiano, is trying to make history at Real Madrid, not only because of his importance in the team, but also because of the ambition and the number of goals he conveys,” Alonso said in a press conference.
“Kilian is one of the chosen players. There is a desire within him not only to get things done well, but also to have a positive impact on others. This is something he shares with Cristiano, and this contagious ambition is an inspiration to the rest of the team.”
What is Mbappé’s performance at Real Madrid?
Mbappe, who won the European Golden Shoe and La Liga top scorer award with 31 goals last season, is currently playing at an even higher level, scoring 16 goals in 15 appearances and nine goals in five Champions League games.
Real Madrid will face Erling Haaland’s Manchester City in the Champions League on December 10, ahead of league games against Alaves and Sevilla, giving Mbappé four games before he can nab Ronaldo, who admitted he had a poster of Ronaldo on his wall as a child.
Portuguese international Ronaldo has scored 450 goals in 438 appearances for Real Madrid, while Mbappe has scored 69 goals in 79 appearances since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
What happened in Real Madrid’s last match?
Real’s 3-0 La Liga victory at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday was considered one of the most memorable games of the season.
Mbappe scored twice, either side of Eduardo Camavinga’s header, giving Real a much-needed victory with a morale-boosting performance.
With this victory, Real achieved their first La Liga victory in four games.
How did Real Madrid perform in La Liga this season?
Real, who won 13 of their opening 14 games of the season, have since won just two of their last six games, one of which came in Europe.
How did Celta Vigo do in La Liga this season?
Celta had been on an eight-game unbeaten streak with six wins, but has fallen behind with three losses in their last four games.
Despite being in a respectable mid-table position, Celta finally achieved a win after playing eight games into the season (losing three of them). The victory came in the Europa League against PAOK Salonica.
There were a total of nine La Liga games (seven of which were draws) before Celta recorded their first league win of the season with a 3-2 win over Osasuna.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Celta Vigo?
Real defeated Celta Vigo 3-2 in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabéu in May, but it was the last meeting between the two teams.
Los Blancos, who were then under manager Carlos Ancelotti, jumped into a three-goal lead thanks to two goals from Arda Güller and Kylian Mbappé.
Javi Rodriguez pulled one back in the 69th minute, and Williot Swedberg scored in the 76th minute to end a tense game.
Last season, Real won every game against Celta Vigo.
Real also won La Liga last season at Celta Vigo, with Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior scoring the goals for the home side Svedberg.
Real also won the meeting between the two teams in the Copa del Rey in January. Thanks to the efforts of Mbappé and Vinicius Junior, Los Blancos appeared to have clinched a comfortable victory with Jonathan Bamba’s goal in the 83rd minute, but Marcos Alonso’s penalty in the 90th minute tied the score and forced extra time.
Second-half substitute Endrik Federico scored twice on either side of Federico Valverde’s goal, securing a 5-2 win and avoiding a penalty.
When was the last time Celta Vigo beat Real Madrid?
Celta last defeated Real in 2017, when they beat Santiago Bernabéu 2-1 in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg. A 2-2 draw in the rematch was enough for Celta to advance, but their run was halted by Alaves in the semi-finals.
When was the last time Celta Vigo beat Real Madrid in La Liga?
Celta have not beaten Real in the league since 2014, when Brazilian forward Charles scored both goals in a 2-0 win, ending any chance that Los Blancos could catch intercity rivals Atlético and win the league that season.
Attacking statistics: Real Madrid
Real’s home record in La Liga this season has been winning all six games, scoring 14 goals and conceding only three.
Status Attack: Celta Vigo
Celta went on an unbeaten run in their last eight games, winning six during that time, but have lost just three of their last four.
Celta’s away record in the league is 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, far better than at home, but they are yet to win in La Liga.
Matchup: Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
This is the 58th time the two teams have faced each other, with Real winning 39 times and Celta winning 12.
Real are unbeaten in their last 19 matches, winning 16.
Real Madrid team news
Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are absent due to injury. Dean Huyssen and David Alaba also did not take part in the visit to Celta.
Eduardo Camavinga is doubtful to play due to a severe ankle injury, but he is included in the squad.
Celta Vigo Team News
Josef Aidoo and Mykhailo Ristic are doubtful to play due to injuries.
Borja Iglesias, the team’s top scorer with eight goals this season, will lead a number of players returning to the team after midweek’s Copa del Rey lower league victory over Sant Andreu on penalties.
Real Madrid’s projected starting lineup
Courtois, Asensio, Militao, Rudiger, Carreras, Guler, Valverde, Choameni, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappé.
Celta Vigo’s predicted starting lineup
Radu, Alonso, Starfelt, J. Rodriguez, Rueda, D. Rodriguez, Moriba, Carreira, Zaragoza, Iglesias, Aspas
