Horror evening for Alonso team
Wild second half – Real Madrid fails against outsiders
12/8/2025 – 12:05 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Xabi Alonso’s team is not getting anywhere in La Liga. What’s more, the “Royal” team now had to let their arch-rivals get away.
Horror evening for Real Madrid: The Spanish football record champions have to let their big rivals FC Barcelona go in the La Liga title race for the time being. Coach Xabi Alonso’s Royal team lost a wild game against Celta Vigo, including several sending-offs, 0-2 (0-0), and the gap to the Catalans is now four points. Barcelona defeated Sevilla 5-3 at Betis on Saturday.
The Swede Williot Swedberg scored a brace for outsiders Vigo (53./90.+3) to their first away win at the Bernabéu since 2014, with the first goal scored by former Bayern professional Bryan Zaragoza. Real, on the other hand, lost their nerve in the second half.
First, Fran García saw a yellow card in almost exactly one minute, then a yellow-red card (65′) – for two fouls in an almost identical spot on the halfway line. In stoppage time, Álvaro Carreras received a yellow card for complaining, made a derogatory gesture towards referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzáles and was therefore shown red (90th + 2). The Real stars didn’t agree with this, there was another dismissal of an official on the touchline as well as warnings against Rodrygo and Federico Valverde, who complained too much.
Alonso had previously received a yellow card for complaining (73′). And superstar Jude Bellingham was also warned, but because he wore his new jersey on and not off the pitch after a bleeding cut on his eye (62nd).
At Real, national player Antonio Rüdiger initially only sat on the bench, but was substituted on in the 24th minute for the ailing Éder Militao. The Alonso team botched the dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s duel against England’s league leaders Manchester City. On Wednesday, the Madrilenians will host Pep Guardiola’s team in the Champions League.