Substitute Williot Swedberg scored two goals and defeated Real Madrid, who finished the game with nine men after receiving two red cards.
Real Madrid finished with nine men in La Liga against Celta Vigo after suffering a shocking 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in La Liga after Williot Swedberg scored his second goal in stoppage time with an audacious back-heel goal to move them four points clear of leaders Barcelona.
Sweden substitute Swedberg put Celta ahead in the 53rd minute, deftly deflecting a cross from Brian Zaragoza and past Thibaut Courtois, before rounding up Sunday’s points with an easy goal past the goalkeeper three minutes into stoppage time.
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Celta moved up from 14th to 10th place, but the loss ended Real’s 100 percent record in the home league this season, which had seen them win six games in a row.
Xabi Alonso’s Real side await Manchester City’s Champions League entry in midweek, but have won just one of their last five league games.
Alonso opted to rest centre-back Antonio Rudiger and start Álvaro Carreras in the heart of defence, but Rudiger’s break didn’t last long, with the German defender coming on as a substitute midway through the first half after Eder Militao was forced off with an injury.
Celta Vigo goalkeeper Ionat Radu made several good saves in the first half, denying Jude Bellingham’s header and Arda Güler’s shot from on target.
Madrid struggled to create any serious danger as Celta built a low defensive block that was difficult to break down and did not allow space for dangerous forwards Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior.
Guler missed Madrid’s biggest chance of the first half when the Turkish playmaker sent his shot wide after Mbappé teed it up.
Radu also denied Vinicius Junior after Aurélien Choameny chopped the ball in behind the defense for the Brazilian to run in, a rare crack in Celta’s armor.
Celta’s Romanian goalkeeper stunned the hosts early in the second half when he parried Fede Valverde’s fierce shot from distance.
Brian Zaragoza crossed from the left and Svedberg produced a brilliant flick finish to beat Thibaut Courtois and put the Galicians ahead.
In the case of Bellingham, Madrid suffered a cut on his face in a scuffle with Celta target man Borja Iglesias, an injury that literally drew blood.
Adding to the injury, Fran García received two yellow cards within the first minute, the second for a clumsy foul on Swedberg, leaving the Whites with 10 men for the final third of the game.
Mbappé sent a lob past Radu, but it fell into the roof of the net and substitute Gonzalo García headed home, giving Madrid a chance to equalize, but the goal failed.
Carreras protested referee Alejandro Quintero’s decision, received a second yellow for dissent, and was sent off in stoppage time when Madrid were trailing.
With Madrid trailing by nine points and confusion continuing, Celta completed the victory when Svedberg slotted the ball home past Courtois.
Speaking to the media after the game, Iglesias praised his team’s defensive resilience in winning the game in a “strange” ending.
“They have very high quality. It’s difficult to play against them. We defended very well,” he said.
“The way the game ended was pretty weird. There were a lot of situations, then there were stops, then there were fouls. Then they got a little desperate.
“We’re doing well on the road (as Celta Vigo have won their fourth away game this season). It’s hard to explain.”
Alonso criticized his team’s “disappointing” effort and intensity, as well as the referee’s decisions.
Alonso said in comments to the media after the game: “Tonight it was better to have 10 men than 11. Simply because we had 10 men, at least we started running and working hard.”
“We have to try to turn the page as quickly as possible. We only have three points left. We still have a lot of league games left.”
He added: “The referee’s decision upset us. He was itching to give Alvaro Carreras a card. The referee’s reaction was very bad.”
