Real Madrid Overcomes Scare to Defeat Celta Vigo in Extra Time and Secure Copa del Rey Quarterfinal Spot!

 

Real Madrid secured their spot in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after a hard-fought 5-2 victory over Celta Vigo in extra time. The match at the Santiago Bernabeu was marked by tension, moments of brilliance, and a strong comeback from the Galician side, but ultimately, Real Madrid's quality prevailed.

The home team came into the game under pressure, especially after their recent heavy defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. Carlo Ancelotti fielded a mix of starters and rotated players, including the likes of Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, and Luka Modric, while relying on Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in attack. The Bernabeu crowd expressed dissatisfaction with some players, including Aurelien Tchouameni, but the team had no room for error in this crucial knockout match.

Celta Vigo started strongly, almost taking the lead in the fifth minute when Carl Starfelt’s header hit the post. Despite the absence of their star player Iago Aspas, Celta showed attacking intent from the beginning. Real Madrid gradually grew into the game, with Tchouameni trying his luck from long range, but Celta’s goalkeeper denied him. The home side struggled to create clear chances early on, with both Mbappe and Vinicius subdued.

The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Mbappe executed a brilliant counter-attack. The French forward sprinted down the left, cut into the box, and scored with a stunning strike from a tight angle. The goal energized Real Madrid as the first half ended with a narrow lead.

Early in the second half, Real Madrid doubled their advantage. Mbappe set up Brahim Diaz, who delivered a perfect pass to Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian calmly finished to make it 2-0. The team continued to dominate, with Mbappe and Vinicius creating more chances. However, Celta stayed resilient and found a lifeline in the 83rd minute when Pablo Duran capitalized on a defensive mistake by Eduardo Camavinga. Jonathan Bamba converted the opportunity, reducing the deficit.

In the final moments of regular time, Celta won a penalty, which Marcos Alonso converted to level the match at 2-2. Real Madrid, once in control, now faced a nightmare scenario as the game headed into extra time.

The additional period saw few chances until the 108th minute when young Brazilian talent Endrick stepped up. He scored a stunning goal to put Real Madrid back in the lead. Shortly after, Federico Valverde delivered a sensational strike to extend the advantage to 4-2. In the final moments, Endrick secured his brace with a clever backheel finish, sealing the victory.

Real Madrid avoided disaster and advanced to the quarterfinals. Despite the challenges, the team's depth and individual brilliance made the difference. They will now await their next opponent in the draw on Monday.

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