Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-2 to maintain a four-point distance from Barcelona, but the away side narrowly missed a comeback at the Bernabeu
Carlo Ancelotti admitted that his side’s late wobble nearly turned a commanding win into a nervy finish, but the Real Madrid boss ultimately praised the resilience of his team in a 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo that keeps the pressure on league leaders Barcelona.
Madrid raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to an opening goal from Arda Guler and a brace from Kylian Mbappe, but two quick goals from Celta Vigo in the final 25 minutes of the second half reignited the contest and exposed a fragile Real Madrid side.
“The game seemed to be over,” Ancelotti said after the match. “We had the chance to score the fourth with Arda [Guler], we made the change because Asensio couldn’t take it anymore.”
The veteran coach pointed to the absences in his backline as a key factor in Celta Vigo’s late resurgence.
“You have to take into account that there were six defenders missing and we are not always able to fix these things,” said Ancelotti.
“Yes, we could have managed better, we suffered a little, but it’s a nice victory.”
Madrid’s next fixture is the El Clasico on 11 May. With only four points between Los Blancos and Barcelona, the match promises to carry as much tension as has characterised any football match between these two Spanish giants.
