Celta Vigo 1-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid got off to a flyer in their 2019/20 campaign opener as they grabbed a well-deserved 1-3 win over Celta Vigo in front of 24,000 fans at the Balaidos.
Los Blancos are looking for a better La Liga season than last, and they will have been very happy last night when title favourites Barcelona suffered a shock 1-0 reversal in their opener away to Athletic Bilbao. So to follow that up with a comprehensive win against a tricky Celta side makes it the perfect weekend.
Karim Benzema got Zinedine Zidane’s team off to a great start and second-half strikes by Toni Kroos and Lucas Vazquez sealed the three points before Iker Losada scored a late consolation for the hosts.
We like a good title race here at SBOBET and if Los Blancos can keep up this level of performance we’re sure to get one!
Highlights of the game
Eden Hazard’s big-money move from Chelsea dominated the summer La Liga 2019 news at the Bernabeu, but injury kept the Belgian star out of the opening fixture and that meant a start for Gareth Bale.
ZZ recently said that the day the Welsh winger left the Bernabeu couldn’t come too soon, but the Real boss found himself relying on Bale to create something for his team.
And the unsettled star obliged on 12 minutes when he evaded a defender and crossed for Karim Benzema to fire home from close range in a start Zidane couldn’t really have expected.
Bale looked up for this game, which must have both pleased and confused his boss. He took a pass from Marcelo and tried his luck from distance, but his shot went straight at Ruben Blanco.
Iago Aspas scored 20 goals last season, but the Celta skipper wasn’t getting a sniff early on. He also wasn’t controlling his team particularly well as he became the third home player to be booked in the opening 12 minutes.
The hosts had their only real chance of the first half on 30 minutes when Denis Suarez swung over a corner which David Costas headed just over the bar. Then, Los Blancos’ midfield playmaker Luka Modric took a pass from Vinicius Junior and fired one low towards the corner which Blanco got down well to save.
Los Blancos had a flurry of chances as half-time approached. Bale forced a good low save from Blanco and Benzema headed narrowly wide.
But then in first-half injury time, it seemed like Celta had delivered a sucker punch. Suarez put Aspas through on goal and the captain fired past Thibaut Courtois and into the net. But after wild celebrations from the crowd, VAR ruled that Aspas was offside.
Suarez and Aspas combined at the start of the second half, and this time the Celta top scorer tested Courtois with a low drive heading for the corner.
The hosts looked to be clawing their way back into the game, but Toni Kroos put paid to any fight back. The German took a pass from Marcelo and hit a screamer into the top left corner, giving Blanco no chance.
Aspas wasn’t going to give up easily, though. He took a pass from Kevin Vazquez before slamming a shot into the Los Blancos’ defence. And on 73 minutes, Celta broke quickly and Aspas shot inches wide from just outside the penalty area.
But it was game well and truly over on 80 minutes when Benzema passed to Lucas Vazquez, and he drilled a shot into the bottom left corner.
Celta did get their consolation in injury time when Iker Losada finished off a fast break in fine style.
Key Statistics
While Celta Vigo dominated first half possession, they rarely threatened Courtois’ goal, having just a single shot of any kind, while Los Blancos registered five on target.
There was more goalmouth action in the second half, but Real Madrid continued to create the most, with 11 shots on target to Celta’s four.
What’s next?
Los Blancos fans were hoping this season would be a new start in Zinedine Zidane’s second stint at the helm, and they will be happy with what they have seen today.
The La Liga 2019 betting odds foresee a tough battle for Real Madrid, but they have a great chance to steal a march on their rivals. Next up, they are at home to Real Valladolid before an away clash with Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine had a difficult campaign last season.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo’s tough start to the season continues when they entertain Valencia next weekend before taking a trip to play Sevilla away the following week.
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