Madrid, May 4: Kylian Mbappe scored in each half as Real Madrid held on to beat Celta Vigo 3-2 on Sunday to keep pace with Barcelona in the Spanish league title race.
Arda Guler also scored for Madrid, which opened a 3-0 lead early in the second half but saw Celta get back into the game toward the end of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Celta had a couple of great chances to complete its comeback, including a shot by Pablo Durán that stopped just short of the goal line after a deflection by Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 78th minute. Courtois had to make a couple of saves near the end to secure the win.
The victory moved Madrid back within four points of leader Barcelona ahead of the teams’ last “clasico” of the season next Sunday in Barcelona.
The Catalan club came from behind to defeat last-placed Valladolid 2-1 on Saturday, when coach Hansi Flick rested most of the team’s regular starters ahead of its Champions League semfinal match at Inter Milan on Tuesday. Barcelona and Inter drew 3-3 in the first leg.
Güler put Madrid ahead with a shot into the top corner in the 33rd, and Mbappé scored in the 39th – also finding the top corner – and in a breakaway in the 48th. The France star hadn’t scored in the league since March.
The match appeared under control until Javi Rodríguez pulled the visitors closer in the 69th and Williot Swedberg scored Celta’s second goal in the 76th.
A couple of minutes later, Durán’s shot agonizingly stopped just in front of the goal line after the ball picked up some backspin as it struck Courtois.
“It was a shame,” Celta striker Borja Iglesias said. “We had our chances. That shot by Pablo almost went in. It wasn’t meant to be.”
Celta, which was coming off a 3-0 win over Villarreal, stayed in seventh place.
There were a few jeers from the Bernabeu crowd as Madrid struggled to hold on to its lead late in the game.
It was the fourth straight league win for Madrid, which last Saturday lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona and last month was eliminated by Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Forward Rodrygo was not included in the squad because of illness. (AP)
