In a shocking turn of events, Real Madrid suffered a surprising defeat against Celta Vigo in Matchweek 16 of the La Liga 2025/26 season. The loss has intensified the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso, as his team now sits four points behind leaders FC Barcelona.
This is especially disappointing for the second-placed team, which has only managed to win one out of its last five La Liga matches.
Not the game we wanted, says Alonso
Following the unexpected defeat, Alonso expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance. “We are all angry, evidently this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” he said. The manager stressed on moving past this setback quickly and focusing on their upcoming Champions League match against Manchester City. “It’s only three points,” he noted, adding they have a chance to make up for this loss in their next game.
Celta Vigo stun Real Madrid
The match took a turn in the 52nd minute when Celta Vigo’s substitute Williot Swedberg scored his first league goal of the season, giving his team an unexpected lead. Real Madrid’s situation worsened in the 64th minute when Fran Garcia was shown two yellow cards within a minute, reducing them to 10 men. The team faced another setback in injury time when Alvaro Carreras received two quick-fire yellow cards for dissent and foul language, leaving them with just nine players on the field.
Swedberg scored again after Carreras’s dismissal, sealing Celta Vigo’s first La Liga win over Real Madrid since May 2014. The match marked a historic moment for the underdogs, ending a long streak of 22 games without victory against the Spanish giants.
Real Madrid are 4 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona
The defeat is Real’s 2nd of the season from 16 matches. They own 11 wins and three draws. As mentioned, they have just one win in their last 5 league games (D3 L1). Real’s last defeat in La Liga this season came back in September 2025 against Atletico Madrid. Real own 36 points with a goal difference of +17. Real are 4 points behind Barcelona.
Are Barcelona the title favourites?
This might seem manageable for now but Hansi Flick’s men are the favourites. They are not only the holders but boast consistency. With key players returning, Barcelona are on a six-game winning run in La Liga and have been scoring for fun. They have already scored 47 goals and conceded 20 this season.
Discussion about this post