Real Madrid suffered a seismic upset as Celta Vigo left the Bernabéu with a 2-0 victory, leaving Los Blancos reduced to nine men and piling fresh pressure on manager Xabi Alonso.
The shock result deepens a worrying run of form for second-placed Real, who have won just once in their last five La Liga outings and now sit four points behind leaders Barcelona.
A night of missed chances and mounting frustration
The match began with Real creating openings but failing to convert. Arda Guler flashed a close-range effort narrowly wide and Kylian Mbappé lofted a delicate chip over the bar, moments that would haunt the hosts as the game slipped away.
Tensions simmered throughout the evening, and Alonso’s own frustration was visible on the touchline.
The turning points
52 minutes: Substitute Williot Swedberg produced a neat flick into the bottom corner — his first league goal of the season — to hand Celta an unlikely lead.
64 minutes: Real were reduced to ten men when Fran García received two yellow cards in quick succession.
92 minutes: The situation collapsed further as Álvaro Carreras was dismissed after two rapid bookings, one for dissent and another for foul and abusive language, leaving Real with nine players.
Added time: Swedberg struck again to seal the result as the hosts imploded.
Historic significance and squad blows
Celta’s triumph marks their first La Liga win over Real since May 2014, ending a 22-game drought against the capital giants.
The evening also brought fresh injury concerns: Éder Militão limped off in the 23rd minute with a hamstring problem, and the squad remains without Trent Alexander-Arnold, sidelined for two months with a thigh injury.
Reaction and what comes next
Alonso did not hide his displeasure: “We are all angry, evidently this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” he said, urging a quick reset.
He added that the Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday offers a chance to respond and wash away the “bad taste” of this defeat. With European giants arriving at the Bernabéu, Real must regroup fast — both tactically and temperamentally — if they are to salvage momentum this season.
