Kylian Mbappé struck twice as Real Madrid fended off a determined Celta Vigo comeback to claim a vital 3-2 victory and close the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to four points ahead of next weekend’s El Clásico.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when a well-worked short corner found Arda Güler, whose curling effort — aided by a slight deflection — nestled into the top corner.
Just six minutes later, Madrid struck again. A rapid counterattack ended with Mbappé blasting a fierce shot past Vicente Guaita to double the lead.
The French star wasn’t done. Three minutes into the second half, he latched onto Güler’s perfectly weighted through ball and coolly slotted home his second of the night to make it 3-0.
Madrid looked to be cruising, but Celta had other plans. Javi Rodriguez capitalised on a defensive lapse to pull one back with a close-range finish from a corner with just over 20 minutes left.
The tension ramped up when club icon Iago Aspas, off the bench, delivered a sublime pass to set up fellow substitute Williot Swedberg, who tucked away Celta’s second on 76 minutes to make it 3-2.
Celta nearly found a dramatic equaliser moments later when Pablo Duran broke through after another piece of brilliance from Aspas, but Thibaut Courtois recovered just in time to smother the loose ball.
A frantic final stretch saw chances at both ends, but Madrid held their nerve to secure a crucial three points — their fifth league win in a row — and stay firmly in the title race.
With El Clásico looming, Real Madrid now have the chance to close the gap to just one point with three matches remaining. Celta Vigo, meanwhile, remain seventh as they continue their push for European qualification.
