Real Madrid overcome scares and survive LaLiga title to clash with Barcelona | OneFootball

Real Madrid almost had a tough game against Celta in LaLiga, but they managed to avoid any major scares and picked up three crucial points to challenge Barcelona for top spot in an El Clásico that promises to be unmissable next Sunday in Catalonia. With the win over Celta, Real moved onto 75 points, compared to 79 points for their biggest rivals.

Carlo Ancelotti opted to start his main players with a trump card: the presence of Arda Guler as a starter in place of Rodrygo, and the Turk didn't disappoint, opening the scoring with a beautiful left-footed cross with no chance of a save for Vicente Gauita. Real then added to their tally with Kylian Mbappe taking advantage of a sensational counter-attack.

After a very secure first half, Real needed just three minutes in the second half to score a third goal. Arda Guler provided a great assist and left Mbappe in a great position to turn the one-sided victory into a rout. However, the impression that this was going to be a quiet night for the second-placed team soon fell away.

Celta reduced the deficit in the 68th minute, taking advantage of a poorly taken corner by the refereeing team, in yet another error by the referees in LaLiga. Vásquez tried to save, but Javi Rodríguez scored. Just seven minutes later, Iago Aspas came off the bench to find a millimeter of space in Real's defense and leave Swedberg in a great position to score.

Finally, Aspas played an excellent pass and Durán shot very firmly for what looked like Celta's equalizer, but Courtois managed to recover from the effect of the ball and prevented what could have been the goal that ended their title dreams.

Do Real Madrid have a chance of beating Barcelona?

It's undeniable that Real Madrid will go into the game against Barcelona as underdogs precisely because of their irregularity throughout the season. But even so, Carlo Ancelotti is capable of putting together a winning strategy to neutralize his rivals.