First Division - Day 21

Celta 1 - Real Madrid 4

Celta: Sergio Alvarez; Hugo Mallo, Roncaglia, Cabral, Jonny; Daniel Wass, Jozabed (Marcelo Díaz 72’), Pablo Hernández; Iago Aspas, Guidetti (Beauvue 80’), Pione Sisto (Pape Cheikh 80’). 4-3-3.
Madrid: Keylor Navas; Danilo, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro (Kovacic 71’), Kroos; Isco (Lucas Vázquez 84‘), Benzema, Ronaldo (Marco Asensio 84’). 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 10. Ronaldo. Picked up Isco pass and fired shot wide of Sergio Alvarez.
0-2. 48. Ronaldo. Ran on to long Isco pass and steered shot in off near post.
1-2. 69. Guidetti. Collected Sisto pass and struck shot which went in off Ramos.
1-3. 70. Benzema. Turned ball in from close up after Marcelo crossed from left.
1-4. 88. Kroos. Made space to steer shot wide of keeper from Benzema pass.

Yellow cards: Casemiro 30’, Iago Aspas 38’, 62’, Jonny 64’, Guidetti 66’, Hugo Mallo 73’, Sergio Ramos 85’, Pablo Hernández 85’ / red cards: Iago Aspas 62’.

[Match originally postponed from February due to adverse weather conditions and damage caused to the roof of the Balaidos stadium by high winds, finally played on 17 May, a few days before the end of the league season].

Real Madrid are just a point away from their first league title in five years after they beat Celta 1-4 on Wednesday evening! Ronaldo gave Zidane’s side an early lead with a shot from the edge of the area, but Keylor Navas had to save a Daniel Wass free kick, soon afterwards, and Iago Aspas fired two or three shots just wide of the mark before the break. Benzema tested Sergio Alvarez before the break however, and just three minutes in to the second half Ronaldo got his second of the night after Isco set him up. With just over an hour gone Aspas was sent off after the referee gave him a second yellow card for what he considered to be a dive in the penalty area when he fell under a challenge from Segio Ramos, but soon afterwards Guidetti got one back for the locals with a shot which bounced off Ramos over the visiting keeper. A minute later however Benzema restored the two goal cushion from Marcelo’s cross, and Kroos rounded things off with the fourth near the end. Madrid move three points clear of Barcelona in the table, and a draw in Málaga on Sunday will give them that much needed title. Celta meanwhile fell to their fifth league defeat in a row, and after they were knocked out of the Europa League a week ago, their season is effectively over.