Celta Vigo 0 - Real Madrid 2

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Cáceres, Contreras, Juanfran; Luccin, José Ignacio (Vagner 66'); Angel, Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Jesuli 31'); Milosevic (Catanha 57'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Raúl Bravo, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Beckham, Iván Helguera; Figo (Guti 78'), Raúl, Zidane; Ronaldo (Solari 85'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Celta: Contreras, Mostovoi for Sergio, Jesuli / Madrid: Raúl Bravo for Guti.

Goals:
0-1. 24. Ronaldo. Ran on to Figo's through ball to fire shot low past keeper.
0-2. 65. Roberto Carlos. Controlled Zidane pass and cut in to score with right foot.

Real Madrid kept up the pressure on the leaders with a comfortable 0-2 win at Celta. Fielding a full strength line up, Carlos Queiroz saw his side dominate the opening minutes and go close to scoring, with Zidane and Ronaldo both failing to find the target and Cavallero saving from a Raúl snap-shot. And then midway through the first half Figo found Ronaldo with a through ball for him to fire his sixth league goal of the season inside the near post.

Celta's first real attack didn't come until the half hour mark, when Milosevic was closed down by Raúl Bravo as he advanced on goal. Iván Helguera could have made it two for the visitors though when he headed Beckham's free kick against the bar just before the break.

With rain now falling heavily, Cavallero did well to hold on to a fierce shot from Figo soon after the restart. Lotina finally decided to put on Catanha for his first appearance since returning from injury, and the Hispano-Brazilian headed just over the bar within two minutes of making his appearance. But five minutes later Roberto Carlos got a second goal for Madrid with a rare right foot shot to wrap up the match.

Vagner came on for the home side as a last throw of the dice and shot wide, and Mostovoi should have scored near the end when Catanha headed the ball to his feet in front of goal, but Casillas made the save. It was a disappointing result for the Galicians, who approach the relegation zone and who now have to pick themselves for their Champions League game against Ajax. Madrid stay just behind Deportivo and Valencia in the table, ready to resume battle once their midweek game with Partizan is out of the way.