Valverde’s stoppage-time strike seals dramatic win for Real Madrid at Celta Vigo

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Real Madrid snatched a dramatic late victory over Celta Vigo with a stoppage-time strike from Federico Valverde securing a 2–1 win in their La Liga Round 27 clash on Friday night.

The match, played at Balaídos, appeared destined for a draw before Valverde struck in the 94th minute, firing from the edge of the box. His shot took a deflection that wrong-footed goalkeeper Ionut Radu, sealing all three points for the visitors.

Madrid had taken the lead earlier in the first half through Aurelien Tchouameni, who scored in the 11th minute with a powerful strike that bounced in off the post.

The early goal followed a lively start in which Vinicius Junior had already rattled the post moments earlier, signalling Madrid’s attacking intent.

However, Celta Vigo responded strongly and were rewarded midway through the first half when Borja Iglesias capitalised on a precise through pass in the 25th minute, calmly finishing past Thibaut Courtois to level the contest at 1–1.

The hosts nearly completed the turnaround late in the game when veteran forward Iago Aspas struck the post in the 87th minute, narrowly missing what could have been a decisive goal for Celta.

Real Madrid also had a tense moment earlier in the second half when a potential penalty claim was reviewed by VAR, but the referee waved away the appeal after re-examining the incident.

With the game heading into added time, Madrid pressed for a winner and finally broke through when Valverde unleashed the decisive shot that deflected into the net.

The victory keeps Real Madrid firmly in the title race in La Liga, while Celta Vigo were left to rue missed opportunities despite a spirited performance in front of a crowd of 22,048.