Valverde strikes late as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo

In a thrilling conclusion, Federico Valverdes shot with a significant deflection in the 95th minute clinched a 2-1 victory for an injury-riddled Real Madrid over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Friday.

The Uruguayan playmaker relied on some luck in the dying moments to draw his squad level on points with frontrunners Barcelona, minus one, as they face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Aurelien Tchouameni got the visitors on the scoresheet early, yet Borja Iglesias quickly restored parity for the hosts at Balaidos.

Under Alvaro Arbeloa, Madrid, missing key forward Kylian Mbappe due to injury, had dropped their last two domestic fixtures and continue to battle for steady performances.

Valverdes effort, which deflected off ex-Barcelona man Marcos Alonso before nestling in the Celta goal, prevented a third straight La Liga outing without success.

"La Liga still has plenty of rounds ahead, numerous points up for grabs... right now, its barely begun," Arbeloa commented to the press.

"Each match pits you against opponents with their goals, and every one will be a battle.

"With 10 absences, our success here merits real praise."

Besides star attacker Mbappe, the sides leading scorer, Arbeloa lacked options from Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes, and Eduardo Camavinga among others.

Though they triumphed, Madrids recent results and mounting injuries raise doubts before their Champions League knockout encounter with Manchester City next week.

Arbeloa handed a debut to 18-year-old Thiago Pitarch in midfield, who put in a solid shift despite the teams lacklustre showing.

Iglesias tested Madrid custodian Thibaut Courtois with a low effort from distance early in the game.

The away side began brightly, Vinicius Junior hitting the woodwork, before Tchouameni netted in the 11th minute.

The Frenchman curled a superb shot from outside the area after a corner routine, the ball grazing the post en route to goal.

Celta refused to yield, capitalising on sloppy work from Trent Alexander-Arnold to equalise.

The Englishman was caught out by Williot Swedberg slipping behind, failing to react swiftly to deny the Swede, who squared for Iglesias to tap home.

Hard-fought win

Courtois denied Swedberg with a sharp stop before halftime, while mid-table Celta, in sixth, matched their visitors throughout.

Madrid sought a penalty after Ferran Jutgla appeared to handle inside the area, but VAR deemed a prior foul on a defender negated the claim, no penalty given.

Late substitute Iago Aspas struck the upright, suggesting a draw loomed as time ebbed away.

Yet, deep into added time, Valverdes strike from range clipped Alonso, deceiving Celta keeper Ionut Radu completely.

"We restricted their openings well, and that final attempt was covered, so the defeat stings," Iglesias shared with Movistar.

Arbeloa viewed the resolve to secure the win as a foundation for progress.

"We have room to improve in many areas, but the spirit and grit displayed today could mark a shift, and from now on, things improve markedly," Arbeloa remarked.