The Bernabéu hosted two very different leagues to close the weekend. On one side, Zidane´s team needed the win to stay top of the table. On the other Celta, which started the game in relegation, looked to get their second victory in a row against all odds.
Madrid took control of the game right away, but Celta´s effective defensive approach, formed by five defenders with the objective to close gaps and prevent Madrid from progressing forward. Suddenly, Celta´s number 10 Iago Aspas received the ball in the middle and executed a very accurate pass that surpassed Madrid´s central defender Varane to leave Celta´s striker Smorov right in front of Courtois. He took a great touch and finished down to the post to put Celta ahead.
The home team kept trying to create danger through a fast ball movement from one wing to the other in order to make Celta´s defense to move and find the space, but the squad from Vigo was very secured behind at the same time as they looked fro their offensive reference Iago Aspas as soon as they recover the ball. Moreover, Celta´s midfielder Rafinha also left some good quality details whenever he got the ball.
Even though Madrid had the possession most of the time, they were unable to create real chances apart from a good combination by Benzema, Hazard and Bale that the winger from Wales couldn´t finish. And Celta was very close to score their second right before halftime through a header by central defender Aidoo from a corner kick that Courtois saved for his team. Celta went to the locker room ahead thanks to their good defensive job, which did not allow Madrid to make any shot to the goal in the whole first half.
Zidane´s squad kept their domain in the second half, but this time they decided to not cross constantly and instead look for passes on the ground to break down Celta´s defense, which started suffering right away. Ramos was the first one to notice the visiting team through a finish after a combination by Bale and Carvajal, but he was offside and the goal was disallowed.
However, an open pass by Benzema to the left wing to Marcelo, who passed it back to the box to Tony Kroos, unlocked Celta´s wall thanks to a perfect shot by the German. Several minutes later, Rubén Blanco provoked an unnecessary penalty on Hazard. He couldn´t control the ball, which was going to leave the end line, and Celta´s keeper touched his foot so the Belgian went to the ground and the referee gave them a penalty. Big mistake by Rubén, who converted a goal kick into a penalty that was transformed by Ramos to put Madrid ahead.
The match followed the same script for the last minutes, but Madrid did not kill it and, therefore, Celta took their chance to tie it up. Denis Suarez made a beautiful pass that overcame the whole Madrid defense and Santi Mina finished to give his team a gold point.
Madrid loose two points to Barcelona, and now they are just one point ahead of them, while Celta add a point on the race to avoid relegation.
