La Liga roundup: Real Madrid beats Celta to pressure Barcelona before Atletico visit
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 2-0 on Saturday to strain Barcelona earlier than the Spanish chief hosts Atletico Madrid needing a win to quash any fears of a late season stoop.
Marco Asensio put Madrid forward three minutes earlier than halftime from a cross by Vinícius Júnior after the winger sped clear on the flank.
Centre again Éder Militão once more confirmed his punch in assault through the use of a robust header to show in a nook kick by Asensio within the forty eighth.
Madrid’s win trimmed Barcelona’s still-healthy result in eight factors with yet another sport performed.
Two rounds in the past, Barcelona may have gone forward by as many as 15 earlier than it was held to 2 consecutive attracts that allowed Madrid to breathe a bit little bit of life into its almost hopeless title defence.
A loss by Barcelona to third-placed Atletico at Camp Nou on Sunday may embolden Madrid with eight video games to play.
Either manner, Madrid has prioritized a doable cup double, not a nonetheless unlikely comeback within the home league.
After three extra league video games, Madrid will play Osasuna on May 6 within the Copa del Rey closing. Just three days later, the Champions League holder hosts Manchester City within the semifinals.
For goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made a late cease to disclaim Celta’s Iago Aspas one-on-one, Madrid can have it each methods.
“We are going to keep fighting until the last game,” Courtois mentioned. “We have to try to win these next three games, and then after the Copa del Rey final we will see what the difference is. And, in any case, our task is to keep winning so we have good momentum going into the Champions League (semifinals).”
Coach Carlo Ancelotti left first-choice gamers Luka Modrid, Toni Kroos, Rodrygo, and Dani Carvajal, who all began in its 2-0 win at Chelsea final week, on his bench at first of the match with Celta.
In their place, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Ceballos performed within the midfield, whereas Nacho Fernández was in defence and Marco Asensio in assault.
Ancelotti’s B group did simply advantageous.
The imaginative and prescient of Ceballos mixed with the velocity of Vinícius was sufficient to interrupt down Celta’s resistance.
Ceballos slotted a finely weighted by means of ball behind the defence to fulfill Vinícius’ run down the left flank, earlier than he reduce and located Asensio arriving to attain from his cross.
Militão put the outcome past doubt when he charged in and rose excessive above Celta’s defence to thump residence Asensio’s nook kick.
Down by two objectives, Twelfth-placed Celta lastly began to click on in assault. But Gabri Veiga, a 20-year-old midfielder linked to a transfer to Madrid, and Aspas did not get off on-target photographs after they had been arrange by left again Javi Galán.
And when Aspas did break previous Fernández and had time and house in his favour, Courtois closed him down and swatted the ball away.
The 35-year-old Aspas made his 450th profession look for Celta.
LAST CHAMPIONS SPOT
Real Sociedad fought again to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 and strengthen its maintain on fourth place and the final Champions League spot after Real Betis stumbled in a loss at Osasuna.
Fifth-placed Betis fell six factors behind Sociedad after Ante Budimir led Osasuna to a 3-2 win over the Seville-based aspect because it builds momentum for the Copa del Rey closing in two weeks.
OTHER RESULTS
Athletic Bilbao received at Almeria 2-1 and boosted the Basque membership’s probabilities for preventing for a European competitors berth. Valladolid’s 1-0 win over Girona lifted it seven factors away from the relegation zone.
