Last-gasp Valverde winner spares Real Madrid's blushes against Celta Vigo

[p]With four wins in a row in all competitions, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celta-vigo/8pvUZFhf/"]Celta[/a] came into this as the form side and were intent on continuing their run five minutes in, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iglesias-borja/0vQciH42/"]Borja Iglesias[/a] drilled a low effort from 20 yards, which forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/courtois-thibaut/MVExOq3n/"]Thibaut Courtois[/a] down low to keep it out.[/p][p]But when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vinicius-junior/CbwQ4Mws/"]Vinicius Junior[/a] got in behind and rolled an effort against the post soon after, the visitors found their rhythm, and after an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tchouameni-aurelien/QkiZum3e/"]Aurelien Tchouameni[/a] shot was deflected out for a corner,[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real[/a] cleverly worked the resulting corner to the Frenchman, who swept in his first league goal of the season in the 11th minute.[/b][/p][embed guid="771f3f42-deba-4ccc-a587-10f40a9f1f38" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2030024295007551531" social-type="twitter" /][p]Real had won all 18 previous LaLiga matches they had opened the scoring in this season, a record Iglesias seemed keen to end when he latched onto a through ball but was again denied by the fingertips of Courtois.[/p][p][b]However, the striker would not be denied a third time, as on 25 minutes, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swedberg-williot/KluZeL4G/"]Williot Swedberg[/a] brushed off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alexander-arnold-trent/CEVJy6Bc/"]Trent Alexander-Arnold[/a] on the left and squared for Iglesias to turn home the equaliser. [/b][/p][p]That goal seemed to put an end to the big chances before the break, until the 45-minute mark when Swedberg tested Courtois’ reflexes with a powerful side-footed shot.[/p][embed guid="47a9fd09-2219-4551-9e1d-ed101e313ee8" url="https://x.com/LaLigaEN/status/2030021248365818128" social-type="twitter" /][p]Despite some intricate build-up play at both ends, it wasn’t until a corner to the near post was looped up into Courtois’ hands by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jutgla-ferran/Wbz0q867/"]Ferran Jutgla[/a] in the 60th minute that the second half had a shot.[/p][p]Alvaro Arbeloa’s side finally showed some attacking intent soon after, as shots from youngsters [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pitarch-pinar-thiago/GQciGBE5/"]Thiago Pitarch[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-cesar/8d2U9MPp/"]Cesar Palacios[/a] were both well blocked by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/starfelt-carl/ptNHGRiJ/"]Carl Starfelt[/a], before they were unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty for handball by Jutgla at a corner.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="5a2f288f-b614-468a-902e-f51f5663ec3c" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="664cfb57-9b1a-4d60-aaab-104a856cd797" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]The Celta forward looked guilty as a lengthy VAR check took place, only for the hosts to be awarded a free-kick for a push by Palacios in the melee.[/p][p]Los Blancos continued to have the majority of the late territory but weren’t turning it into chances, and came within inches of paying for that three minutes from time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aspas-iago/rVBGggAd/"]Iago Aspas[/a] took aim inside the box and saw his effort bounce back off the post.[/p][p]The Sky Blues looked to have held out and gone six unbeaten in all competitions, [b]only for a poor clearance to fall to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valverde-federico/nscfER6B/"]Valverde[/a], whose strike from 25 yards to take a huge deflection on its way past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/radu-andrei/4xYjfkEG/"]Ionut Radu[/a] and win the game in the last minute for the visitors, who remain unbeaten in Vigo since 2014.[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="0ca258ae-0368-432b-90a3-65e3388f5899" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="247cb892-125e-4e9a-ad20-bd086bd1ed2a" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/courtois-thibaut/MVExOq3n/"]Thibaut Courtois[/a] (Real Madrid)[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/celta-vigo-8pvUZFhf/real-madrid-W8mj7MDD/summary/stats/?mid=xd22wQM8"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]