Celta: Sergio Alvarez; Jonny Castro, Cabral, Fontàs, Aurtenetxe; Augusto Fernández (Alex López 56‘), Krohn-Dehli, Rafinho (Madinda 70‘); Orellana, Charles (Mario Bermejo 66’), Nolito. 4-3-3.
Madrid: Diego López; Arbeloa (Illarramendi 56’), Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo; Khedira (Coentrao 55’), Xabi Alonso, Casemiro (Willian José 68’); Modric, Morata, Isco. 4-3-3.
Goals:
1-0. 42. Charles. Won ball off Sergio Ramos and ran on round keeper to score.
2-0. 63. Charles. Intercepted bad Alonso back pass and steered shot past Diego.
Yellow cards: Orellana 16’, Illarramendi 72’, Cabral 76’, Sergio Ramos 76’.
The slip-ups by rivals Atlético Madrid and Barcelona this weekend meant that Real Madrid could have re-entered the title race if they had won at Celta, but Ancelotti reserved his best players for the Champions League final, and they were beaten 2-0 by Luis Enrique’s side. Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo were all missing from the line-up, and although replacements Morata and Isco did test Sergio Alvarez a couple of times in the first half, Charles took advantage of a slip by Sergio Ramos to run on past Diego López and open the scoring shortly before the break. After the restart Modric turned a shot over the bar, the referee waving away his appeal that he was fouled in the area by Aurtenetxe, and Morata and Isco brought further saves out of Sergio. Ancelotti rested Arbeloa and Khedira, both making their first appearances after injury lay-offs, switching Xabi Alonso to the centre of defence and Marcelo to the wing, but the move didn’t pay off when Charles picked up a sloppy back-pass by Alonso to score his second of the evening. Even the news that Atlético and Barça were only drawing didn’t inspire the visitors, Sergio saving comfortably again from substitutes Coentrao and Illarramendi, and the Galicians could have won by a bigger margin in the end had Diego not kept out Alex López, Orellana and Bermejo late on.
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