Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes suffered a severe blow in a chaotic and ill-disciplined 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo, a match marred by injury to Jude Bellingham and two red cards for the hosts.
A Night of Carnage at the Bernabeu
The evening descended into misery for Real Madrid as they finished the game with nine men and their star midfielder, Jude Bellingham, left the pitch with blood streaming from a cut below his eyebrow. The injury occurred around the hour mark with his side already 1-0 down, the result of a stray elbow to the head. In a further bizarre twist, the England international was shown a yellow card upon his return for re-entering the field without the referee's permission.
Discipline Disintegrates as Garcia and Carreras See Red
The situation deteriorated rapidly for manager Xabi Alonso. First, defender Fran Garcia was sent off after receiving two yellow cards for two fouls in the space of a minute. Spanish outlet Marca reported an incensed Alonso shouting 'Fran, don't mess with me!' from the technical area. With ten men, Madrid failed to mount a comeback and were reduced to nine in stoppage time when left-back Alvaro Carreras also picked up a second booking.
Capitalising on the disarray, Celta Vigo's Swedish striker Williot Swedberg sealed the victory with his second goal of the game, compounding a wretched night for the hosts. The injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, ruled out for two months with a quad injury, watched the debacle unfold from the stands.
Title Race Slips Away After Disastrous Run
The defeat has profound consequences for the La Liga title race. Having once held a five-point lead at the summit after winning 10 of their opening 11 games, Real Madrid have now dropped points in four of their last five league matches. This result leaves them four points behind rivals Barcelona.
Sky Sports commentator Rob Palmer delivered a damning verdict on social media, stating: 'In three decades of commentating on Real Madrid… I don’t think I’ve seen such a desperate situation. Players listless. Xabi Alonso powerless.'
Alonso now faces the urgent task of rallying his squad ahead of a crucial Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday, where they will be without the services of Alexander-Arnold.
