Marcelo has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by D. Cheryshev.
GOOOOAAAAAAALLLL FOR REAL MADRID! THE WIN IS SEALED! As Celta push ahead for an equaliser, they leave the defence exposed and Los Blancos counter before Marcelo finishes off the move with a neat finish at the back post! Three-one! GAME OVER!
90' +3
Planas sends a deep cross to the back post from a free kick and Aspas attempts to get on the end of it, only for Danilo to just divert behind for a corner kick. The resulting set-piece comes in, but Navas takes all the pressure off his team by claiming it out of the air.
90' +1
It certainly is more than three! The referee has indicated that there will be FIVE minutes of added time this afternoon, which immediately ignites some cheers in the stands at Balaidos! Can Madrid hold on for all three points?!
89'
It will be interesting to see how much added time will be signaled by the referee as that melee after Cabral got sent off deserves at least a minute by itself. If it is any longer than three minutes we could be in for quite a climax at Balaidos!
87'
The Balaidos is right behind their team now as that goal has catalysed plenty of cheers and belief in the Celta fans for this last remaining couple of minutes! We will learn a lot about Madrid's mental strength and solidity here as they will likely see an onslaught from the home side!
85'
Nolito has scored a goal for Celta Vigo! Assist by Planas.
GOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL FOR CELTA! WHAT A FINISH WE ARE IN FOR! Nolito is the main man for Berizzo's men once again as he finds a yard of space on the edge of the box before rifling a stunning strike into the top left corner! Is an unlikely draw on the cards?! Two-one!
83'
Madrid have been playing within themselves for the last 15 minutes or so as there isn't really any reason to go gung-ho in search of more goals, with the points pretty much wrapped up to go top of the league.
82'
J. Guidetti enters the game and replaces Fabián Orellana.
81'
Planas enters the game and replaces P. Hernández.
Berizzo plays his last throw of the dice now and makes a double change with 10 minutes or so to go as he introduces John Guidetti and Carlos Planas in place of Orellanas and Pablo Hernandez. Not the best game to come into to make an impact, but they have a little bit of time to do so.
80'
Nacho enters the game and replaces L. Modrić.
Minute
Description
79'
Just over 10 minutes remaining in this Spanish Primera Division clash and it looks like, barring a miracle, Madrid are going to be topping the league at the end of the weekend. Barcelona are still to play tomorrow, but even if they win they will remain second as Los Blancos have superior goal difference with the first Clasico still to come.
77'
Perhaps predictably, Madrid have absolutely bossed this game since that sending off for Cabral. Celta are typically still giving their all out there, but any kind of ascendancy they may have built up after the break was swiftly reduced when they went down to 10 men.
75'
Some worrying scenes for Real Madrid at the moment as Navas is currently down injured after a collision with Aspas after a one-on-one situation. Didn't look to be too much in it but the Costa Rican is just down receiving some attention from the physios. He should be fine to continue.
73'
MARCELO CLEARS OF THE LINE! Nolito collects possession to feet and evades a couple of challenges with some lovely touches inside the box before firing at goal. The attempt actually goes through the legs of Navas but the Madrid keeper is saved by his full-back, who covers in behind to make the important block!
71'
Another change for Los Blancos now as Benitez utilises the bench to introduce Denis Cheryshev in place of the impressive Jese. Two new players now flanking Ronaldo up top, who will still be as eager as ever to double his tally and get closer to Neymar in the top goalscoring stakes in the league.
70'
D. Cheryshev enters the game and replaces Jesé.
69'
What a brilliant save from Sergio! We get our first real glimpse of Isco since coming on as he typically drifts into the area in front of the opposition defence. He proceeds to clip a strike towards goal but the Celta keeper somehow manages to retreat to divert the attempt on to the bar!
67'
N. Radoja enters the game and replaces D. Wass.
Berizzo does indeed make a change and opts to introduce Nemanja Radoja in place of Wess. Well it is basically a like-for-like change in the middle of the park for Celta, with the former perhaps being slightly more defensive, but the gap at the back still remains!
65'
Celta find themselves at a bit of a quandary here as they need to find two goals to get back into this, but it would certainly be sensible to bring on another defender as the dismissal of Cabral has left a gaping hole in the centre of defence. Will be interesting to see how Berizzo views it.
63'
GREAT SAVE FROM SERGIO! Madrid are looking extremely dangerous going forward now and they currently attack with three versus two in the final third! The ball eventually makes its way to Ronaldo in the right channel who lashes a strike at goal, only to be denied by a solid stop from the Celta man!
62'
Isco enters the game and replaces Lucas Vázquez.
61'
Nolito gets yellow.
First change of the match from Real Madrid now and it sees Lucas Vazquez, who has impressed down both flanks today, come off to be replaced by Isco, who started the Champions League clash against PSG during the week. Half-an-hour run out for the talented Spaniard here.
59'
Amongst the melee of Cabral being sent off actually saw Iago Aspas booked also for his complaints! Well, that is pretty daft considering he just saw his team-mate sent off for the exact same offence! Get on with the game!
58'
CABRAL IS SENT OFF! Pablo Hernandez is initially deservedly booked for a foul on Jese and the Celta defender takes issue with this and runs over to the referee to make his complaint. The referee doesn't stand for the petulance and quickly issues him with a second yellow card! Well, the official has been poor there as a player shouldn't have to leave the field for such an offence!
57'
Iago Aspas gets yellow.
A. Fernández gets yellow.
G. Cabral gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
P. Hernández gets yellow.
56'
What an awful miss from Orellana! Nolito, who has looked bright since the break, collects possession in his favourite position in the left channel once again and quickly drives towards goal before laying the ball on a plate for his team-mate, who fires at least 10 feet over the bar! He wouldn't have scored if the goal was double the size!
54'
Ronaldo, who last week cemented his status as Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer ahead of Raul, is eager to find his second strike of this match now as he rises above the Celta defence to bullet a header at goal from a Marcelo cross. Not his best though as his attempt glides harmlessly over, not bothering Sergio.
52'
Lucas Vázquez gets yellow.
Almost an extremely intelligent pass from Kroos! Orellana commits the foul just a few yards in from the halfway line and the German quickly takes it, trying to find the darting run of Ronaldo in behind the Celta defence! Luckily for the hosts, Cabral was alert enough to intercept behind for a corner.
50'
As was mentioned in the first half, the scoreline is not such that Celta will be completely disheartened and uncertain they can get back into this as they have displayed plenty of confidence going forward this season; just need to somehow get past Navas!
48'
Unlucky from Orellana! Nolito, who showed glimpses of his quality in the first half, shifts inside from the right wing before passing inside to his team-mate. The winger then opens up his body and attempts to curl a precision strike into the right corner, but it just goes the wrong side of the post!
46'
We are back under way at the Balaidos!
43'
Another FANTASTIC save from Navas! What a game he is having! This time Pablo Hernandez rises high inside the box to glance a header towards goal from a free kick, which looks destined to find the inside of the net! The Costa Rican keeper has other ideas though and somehow gets down to get a hand on it! Brilliant!
41'
Vazquez glides out to the right wing and then eats up the space to move into the final third. He eventually swings a left-footed cross into the box and Ronaldo just attempts to open up his body to divert a strike on target, but it is an uncharacteristic miscue from the Portuguese as he flashes his shot well wide.
39'
We get our first real glimpse of Nolito in the match as he leaves Danilo for dead down the left wing before swiftly cutting inside to find Aspas, who manages to squeeze out a decent strike aimed at the right corner. But, you guessed it, Navas is on hand to make the block!
37'
G. Cabral gets yellow.
First booking of the match now and it is certainly a deserved one for Cabral as he completely takes out Marcelo with a strong barge near enough right in front of both dugouts. The Celta defender will need to be careful out there now as he looks like he is losing the head slightly.
35'
Should be interesting to see how Real Madrid approach the remainder of this game as usually they would go for the jugular and aim to highly outscore the other team, but they certainly seem to take a more pragmatic approach under Benitez. They obviously had Champions League duty during the week, too, so legs might start to feel a little tired.
33'
Celta do indeed have the tools out there to hurt Real Madrid but they just need to be a little bit more careful in their possession in and around the opposition box as whenever they lose the ball in those areas, Benitez's men look to pounce with a pacey counter.
31'
SAVE FROM NAVAS! Celta get a useful free kick opportunity around 30 yards out and tasked with it is Wass, who steps up to whip a wicked strike aimed at the bottom left corner. The Madrid keeper is wise to the idea though and gets across to palm before for a corner kick.
29'
Danilo drives down the right-hand side once again and then cleverly shifts inside before passing to Ronaldo. The opening goalscorer attempts to grab his second of the match with a left-footed strike, but instead opts to take another touch before playing to Marcelo, who subsequently fouls Hugo Mallo to take the pressure off the hosts.
27'
Madrid are looking very comfortable out there now and if there a manager out there who understands what it means to see out such a lead, it is Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard has made Los Blancos much more sturdier defensively this campaign, so Celta face an uphill struggle to get back into this.
25'
Celta will be wondering just how on earth they find themselves two behind here! Real Madrid have simply showed more class in the final third up until now and the hosts have paid the price for their profligacy!
23'
Danilo has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Jesé.
GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLL FOR REAL MADRID! THE VISITORS DOUBLE THEIR LEAD FROM NOTHING! Jese cuts in from the left flank and finds a pocket of space centrally before curling a lovely pass in behind the Celta defence for Danilo, who lashes a superb finish into the top corner for his first goal for his new club! Two-nil, but where was the home defence!
22'
Just about the midway point of this first half now and Madrid probably just deserve their lead through their positive play at the start of the match. Celta are certainly not out of this though and can take heart from the fact they have already called Navas into action two or three times. Just need to be a little more ruthless inside the box.
20'
Celta's response since going behind has been characteristically positive as they aim to claw themselves back into contention with an equaliser here. The problem for them being that Madrid's defence has been excellent this campaign, in no small way to the performances of Keylor Navas.
18'
SAVE FROM NAVAS! Orellana breaks away into space near the back post and takes the ball down with an assured touch before lashing a beautiful half-volley towards the top corner, only to be once again denied by the diving Real Madrid keeper! Superb work again from the man between the sicks for Los Blancos!
16'
How have Celta not equalised?! The home side fluff a couple of striking opportunities inside the box and the ball eventually bounces up to Orellana, who nods a looping header aimed at the roof of the net, only for Navas just to retreat in time to claw out of the air!
14'
Pablo Hernandez moves into an advanced position through the middle and spots the run of Aspas before sliding a pass through the channel in between Danilo and Varane for his team-mate. The former Liverpool man attempts to latch on to it, but Navas proactively comes off his line to claim near the byline.
12'
Orellana whips a teasing corner kick to the back post and Aspas escapes the attentions of the Madrid defenders to rise high and get the header away, but there wasn't any noticeable power or direction in the attempt, which eventually floats over.
10'
This game was always going to be a bit of a battle, but that early goal from the visitors should do a lot in settling some potential nerves. Celta, meanwhile, will certainly not give up easily, so no reason to panic despite the deficit.
8'
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Lucas Vázquez.
GOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLL FOR REAL MADRID! LOS BLANCOS OPEN THE SCORING! Vazquez moves into a great position in the left channel inside the box and threads a precision pass in behind Jonny for Ronaldo, who lashes into the right corner first time with a superb finish! One-nil!
7'
The pitch isn't looking particularly healthy today, with quite a few brown patches being prominent in different areas. The ball isn't moving with any particular pace either, so it remains to be see who this will benefit more, as Madrid are used to the pristine surface at Santiago Bernabeu.
5'
With Madrid still having an array of star attacking talent on the sidelines, it was always going to be interesting today to see how the visitors would line-up in the final third. The early stages of the match appear to signify that Ronaldo is playing as the centre-forward with Jese and Vazquez just flanking to the right and left. Very interchangeable though.
3'
Celta enjoyed a promising opening minute or so to the match in which they dictated play with Madrid sitting back, but it didn't take long before Los Blancos found some authority in those central areas. The hosts looking to soak up pressure before counterattacking at the moment.
1'
We are under way at Balaidos in this top-of-the-table clash!
Good afternoon football fans! Welcome to LIVE coverage of the Spanish Primera Division clash between Celta Vigo and Real Madrid from the Balaidos!
I'm Martin Macdonald, and it is my pleasure to take you through the action.
At the beginning of the Liga season, not a lot of people would have predicted that this fixture would be a top-of-the-table clash, but today's match does indeed feature the top two battling it out to claim an outright spot at the summit of the Spanish Primera Division. Both Celta and Madrid have enjoyed promising starts to their respective campaigns, with both having managed to notch up 18 points from their opening 8 matches. Barcelona are also in the mix with 18 points also, but don't feature in the league until tomorrow afternoon.
Eduardo Berizzo's outfit have been the surprise package in the league this season, and are one of only two sides (along with Madrid) who are yet to taste defeat in domestic action so far. Key to their success has been a revitalised Iago Aspas up top and former Barcelona winger, Nolito, who's performances been so widely praised that he has been tipped to return to the Camp Nou in January when the next transfer window opens.
Celta's start to the campaign can't be attributed to perhaps playing opposition further down the table, either, as Os Celestes have already notched up wins against Luis Enrique's outfit as well as fellow high flyers, Villarreal. The performance against Barca in particular was extremely impressive, and cemented the hosts today as a force to be reckoned with in La Liga this year.
As well as having a plethora of attacking options available, Real Madrid's foundation for success so far this season has been their outstanding defensive record. Los Blancos have conceded just two goals from their eight league games, which when compared with that of eight for Celta and 11 for Barcelona, is very impressive. Those aforementioned attacking options have been depleted in recent weeks, though, with Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, and Karim Benzema all having seen a period on the sidelines.
The last clash between Celta and Real Madrid came once again at Balaidos in La Liga, and it saw Carlo Ancelotti's outfit at the time run out 4-2 winners in a highly entertaining match. Goals from Toni Kroos, Rodriguez, and a double from Javier Hernandez sealed the win in April of this year, while Nolito and Santi Mina, who has now moved on to Valencia, netted for the hosts as consolations.
Celta have gone seven home games in a row without a defeat, while they haven’t managed eight or more in a row since all the way back in 2003. However, they historically don't do to well against Los Blancos, having lost six of their last seven games against the capital club in the league. Also, perhaps ominously, Celta have conceded more goals against Real Madrid than any other team in the history of the top flight.
TEAM NEWS...
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas; Danilo, Sergio Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Casemiro, Kroos, Modric; Jese, Vazquez, Ronaldo.
It seems like consistency is the name of the game for both managers today as there is only one change over both teams from their previously line-ups. It comes for Real Madrid as Modric comes in to replace Isco. The other 21 players out their started their side's respective last matches.
Celta (4-3-3): Sergio; Hugo Mallo, Sergi Gomez, Cabral, Jonny; Augusto, Wass, Pablo Hernandez; Orellana, Nolito, Aspas.
The teams have made their way to the pitch and we are almost ready for kick-off!
Half time at the Balaidos. Real Madrid can be happy with their first half performance as goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Danilo give them a 2-0 lead over Celta at the break. The scoreline doesn't tell the whole story though as the home side have found themselves up against a brilliantly in-form Keylor Navas, who has shut them out so far with a string of superb saves. He looks unbeatable at the moment, but the hosts will be hoping to break his goal! Second half to come!
Full time at Balaidos. It proved to be hard work in the end, but Real Madrid solidify their position at the top of the Spanish Primera Division with a narrow 3-1 win over Celta Vigo.Cristiano Ronaldo typically opened the scoring in the first half half with a lashed finish while Danilo doubled the lead with a superb strike into the top corner. The home side improved after the break but their ascendancy was curbed after the red card given to Cabral. They still rallied, though, and clawed a goal back through the outstanding Nolito, but it proved to not matter too much as Marcelo netted just before the final whistle with a neat finish at the back post as Los Blancos held out for the win. I'm Martin Macdonald, thanks for joining us, see you next time!
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