Celta 1 - Real Madrid 2

Celta: Pinto; Angel, Lequi (Juan Sánchez 85'), Sergio, José Enrique; Oubiña; Antonio Nuñez (Gustavo López 72'), Jorge (Jesús Perera 62'), Canobbio, David Silva; Javi Guerrero. 4-1-4-1.
Madrid: Casillas; Cicinho (Diogo 80'), Iván Helguera, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos; Gravesen (Woodgate 46'); Beckham, Guti, Zidane, Robinho; Baptista (Cassano 70'). 4-1-4-1.

Team changes: Celta: Javi Guerrero for Baiano / Madrid: Iván Helguera for Mejía.

Goals:
0-1. 17. Robinho. Picked up return pass from Baptista and volleyed in to net.
1-1. 40. Lequi. Header down past Casillas on far post from Angel's cross.
2-1. 57. Cicinho. Tap in from close up after Pinto could only push out Robinho shot.

Real Madrid closed to within a point of second placed Valencia after beating Celta 1-2 in the last game of the evening. It wasn't easy going though, and the locals could have scored early on had Nuñez not dallied long enough to allow Roberto Carlos to get in a tackle, and had Canobbio not failed to beat Casillas soon afterwards. Let off the hook López Caro's side took the lead, Robinho taking a return pass from Baptista to fire a shot past Pinto, referee Teixeira Vitienes waving away protests that Jorge had been down injured before the goal was scored.

The hosts continued to attack though, Javi Guerrero bringing a good save out of Casillas with a header and David Silva shooting over the top. And with five minutes to go to half time Lequi levelled the scores when he headed home a long cross from Angel completely unmarked.

Gravesen had to leave the game with an injury at half time, and López Caro brought on Woodgate, with Iván Helguera moving forward to midfield. Beckham fired a dangerous free kick just over the bar three minutes after the restart, and soon afterwards Madrid restored the lead when Cicinho scored on the follow up after Pinto could only push out a shot from Robinho.

Celta thought they had equalised a few minutes later when a centre come shot from Silva came back off the far post and bounced down off the back of Casillas, but Teixeira ruled that the ball had not crossed the line. After that both sides had chances, Canobbio hitting the outside of the post and Gustavo López and Silva both testing Casillas, and Pinto saving well from Cassano and Robinho. But Madrid had their sixth win in a row in the bag, and they are still unbeaten since the start of the new year.