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11.05.2014 » Celta 2-0 Real Madrid. All hopes completely dashed in La Liga
Real Madrid completed their 3rd consecutive game in the Spanish league without winning and this time, the Merengues came home with empty hands and no points at all, after losing 2-0 against Celta de Vigo. Tonight's loss ended up sealing Real Madrid's fate in the league this season, as it finally sent them out of the title race once and for all. With this almost inevitable outcome confirmed right after the game, Carlo Ancelotti and his pupils can finally turn all their attention to Atletico Madrid and to that Champions League final that will go down in roughly 2 weeks from today. In the meanwhile, the new Spanish champions will be crowned next week in the Camp Nou and it will all come down to either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid. The two sides failed to go beyond a draw each this Sunday afternoon and that basically delays the final decision into next weekend's final fixture...
Celta 2-0 Real Madrid goals and highlights video:
Real Madrid stepped onto the pitch at the Balaídos Stadium with what was most likely their weakest line-up of the season. The club didn't even bother to hide that their only objective left this year is to win the Champions League and in order to increase the chances of that happening, Ancelotti decided to give rest to many of his first team players.
The likes of Fábio Coentrão, Pepe, Carvajal, Di María, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema were all spared from Ancelotti's starting eleven against Celta de Vigo. While some of those players were quite simply declared unfit for tonight's game, a few others were just benched or sidelined as precaution. On the other hand, Sami Khedira and Alvaro Arbeloa made their return to competitive games, after a 6-month and 2-month absence, respectively. One of the most worrying signs from this weekend's loss came from the fact that, once again, the Merengues' less used players failed to prove their value and that Ancelotti doesn't really have good enough replacements in this squad to keep his team's level to a minimum standard, when the usual starters aren't around...
As we were only a few minutes away from reaching half-time, the hosts drew the first blood at the Balaídos. It all happened when Sergio Ramos, the player who had been Real Madrid's best player over the past few weeks, held on too long to the ball and allowed himself to get dispossessed by Celta de Vigo forward, Charles Dias de Oliveira. The Brazilian footballer went straight towards Diego López, dribbled past the Spanish goalkeeper and then finished it off against an empty net to make it 1-0 for the hosts.
The break came on with surprising results in all 3 pitches where the outcome still had any interest to the Spanish title race. Both Elche and Malaga were holding on to a goalless draw against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, which meant that if Real Madrid was to win their own game and those two other scores were to be maintained, they could still get back into the title fight. However, deprived of his best men and against such a determined Celta de Vigo side, the Merengues never managed to really upset the hosts and get into the scoreboad as they desperately needed.
Not only they've failed to score, as they would even end up conceding a second goal shortly after the first quarter of an hour of the second half. Ironically, Celta de Vigo's second goal arrived right after Real Madrid had produced their best 15 minutes of the game, and just like it had happened in the opening goal, it was a defensive mistake that threw it all away. This time it wasn't Sergio Ramos messing up at the back but rather Xabi Alonso, who as we all know is set to miss the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on May 24, due to a yellow-card suspension. The Spanish midfielder didn't measure well a pass he intended to make towards Diego López and couldn't help but to see Charles stealing the ball in order to stay 1-on-1 against the Merengues' goalkeeper. The Brazilian went for the dribble as he had done in his previous goal and got to bury his second golden chance of the night, setting the final score in 2-0 for Celta de Vigo.
Looking back at what happened in the game, Real Madrid have always been a shadow of their normal selves and judging from what we've seen on the pitch, the 2-0 defeat can't really be disputed with any serious argument. It's a shame that the Merengues once again failed to capitalize on their rivals slips, but at least now that the league is lost for good this season, all focus can finally be shifted to the Champions League final, to be played next May 24. Apart from Jesé Rodríguez (injured) and Xabi Alonso (suspended), all other players should be eligible to take on Atletico Madrid in Lisbon. If nothing truly unexpected happens until then, Cristiano Ronaldo should also be more than fit to star in that game and make his last appearance for Real Madrid before he starts thinking in the World Cup...
Real Madrid line-up vs Celta de Vigo:
Goalkeeper: Diego López
Defenders: Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Arbeloa
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Casemiro, Khedira, Modric, Isco
Attackers: Alvaro Morata.
| Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
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|---|---|---|
Celta Vigo
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vs
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Real Madrid
|
2 |
Goals |
0 |
13 |
Shots |
17 |
7 |
Shots on goal |
7 |
3 |
Corner kicks |
15 |
13 |
Fouls commited |
6 |
2 |
Yellow cards |
2 |
0 |
Red cards |
0 |
45% |
Ball possession |
55% |
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid will be against Espanyol, in the Spanish League last fixture of the season, scheduled for May 18 of 2014. You can watch Juventus live stream, Real Madrid vs Espanyol, Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, QPR vs Wigan, and Sevilla vs Benfica, all games provided from our soccer live section.
Real Madrid next game:
Real Madrid vs Espanyol kick-off time (18-05-2014):
Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 23:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+2: 18:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+1: 17:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-3: 12:00
New York (United States) | GMT-4: 11:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-7 08:00
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 00:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / realmadrid.com / bbc.com / goal.com
