Real Madrid Wins 2-1 at Celta Vigo Despite Alexander-Arnold Errors

Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo at Estadio Abanca-Balaidos on Friday night, maintaining their challenge in La Liga's title race despite a shaky performance marked by defensive lapses from right back Trent Alexander-Arnold. The win, propelled by goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and a late Federico Valverde strike, came after the hosts equalized through a play that exposed the English defender's vulnerabilities.

Tchouameni opened the scoring in the 11th minute, heading in a short corner delivered by Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool player had earlier contributed offensively, threading a precise long ball to set up Vinicius Junior for a one-on-one chance in the 10th minute, though the Brazilian struck the post. However, Celta Vigo leveled the score in the 25th minute when Williot Swedberg outpaced Alexander-Arnold on a long ball over the top, cut inside, and squared for Borja Iglesias to finish from close range. Spanish media reports highlighted Alexander-Arnold's positioning as a key factor, noting he was beaten for pace, lost his footing in the chase, and failed to intercept the pass back.

The match remained tense until the fifth minute of...