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Real Madrid endured a stunning 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Sunday, ending the match with nine players after a chaotic second half. Williot Swedberg was the hero for the visitors, scoring an outrageous back-heel flick and a late stoppage-time goal to seal a memorable victory that leaves Madrid four points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Swedberg opened the scoring in the 53rd minute with a brilliant heel finish after meeting a precise delivery from Bryan Zaragoza, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois. Deep into added time, he rounded the goalkeeper to calmly slot in his second, capping off a dream night for the Galicians.
Real Madrid’s situation worsened when Fran García was sent off in the 64th minute after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Madrid piled pressure on Celta’s defence throughout the closing stages, but the visitors stayed compact and absorbed the relentless attacks.
The hosts’ frustrations grew as Álvaro Carreras was also dismissed in stoppage time for a second booking, leaving Real with just nine men. Celta’s defensive resilience paid off as they secured only their second clean sheet in 15 league fixtures this season. Goalkeeper Ionut Radu denied Jude Bellingham’s first-half header and parried away a dangerous free-kick from Kylian Mbappé in the second half.
Madrid remain stuck on 36 points from 16 LaLiga games, while Celta climbed to 10th place and celebrated their first victory at the Santiago Bernabéu in nearly two decades.
“With their quality it’s always tough, but we understood the game well,” said Celta forward Borja Iglesias. “We kept possession, stayed brave, and delivered a brilliant performance.”
Xabi Alonso’s Madrid side have now managed just one win in their last five league outings as they prepare for a crucial Champions League clash against Manchester City midweek.
Earlier on Sunday, Espanyol climbed to fifth following a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, secured by Roberto Fernandez’s first-half penalty in a match where both teams ended with 10 players.
Elche cruised to a 3-0 home victory over struggling Girona thanks to a brace from Rafa Mir, while Valencia and Sevilla continued their inconsistent campaigns with a 1-1 draw, keeping both in the lower half of the table.
In Serie A, Napoli striker Rasmus Højlund stole the show with a decisive brace in a 2-1 triumph against Juventus, propelling the champions to the top of the standings. Napoli now sit on 31 points, one ahead of Inter, while Milan — three points further back — travel to Torino on Monday. Juventus remain seventh with 23 points.
Napoli struck early through Højlund after David Neres breezed past Teun Koopmeiners and squared the ball across goal. Scott McTominay almost doubled the lead with a glancing header before half-time, though he later appeared to struggle with a muscle issue but continued playing.
Juventus equalised just before the hour mark when Kenan Yildiz finished a swift counter-attack with a low shot into the far corner. But Napoli responded in the 78th minute as Højlund nodded in from close range after Weston McKennie’s miscued clearance found him unmarked. Napoli survived late pressure to secure a vital victory for the home fans.
Roma suffered a narrow 1-0 loss away at Cagliari after Mehmet Celik’s red card left them exposed. Gianluca Gaetano punished the visitors with a decisive late strike, leaving Roma fourth with 27 points.
Lazio, Roma’s neighbours, battled to a 1-1 draw with Bologna despite finishing the final minutes with 10 men due to Mario Gila’s dismissal. Jamie Vardy didn’t score, but his side Cremonese claimed a comfortable 2-0 win over Lecce.
In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund continued their solid form with a 2-0 win against Hoffenheim, courtesy of goals from Julian Brandt and Nico Schlotterbeck. The victory extended their unbeaten league run to six matches and strengthened their grip on third place with 28 points — just one behind RB Leipzig, who destroyed Eintracht Frankfurt 6-0 on Saturday. League leaders Bayern Munich remain on top with 37 points after a commanding 5-0 win over Stuttgart.
Dortmund waited until the 43rd minute to break the deadlock after a smooth attacking move ended with Brandt tapping in from close range. Hoffenheim searched for an equaliser after the break, but Dortmund doubled their lead when Schlotterbeck fired home a bouncing effort on the hour mark. Serhou Guirassy nearly added a late third after a clever pass from Yan Couto, but his strike rattled the crossbar.
Dortmund now shift focus to the Champions League, where they face Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt as they aim for a top-eight finish in the league phase.
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