Valverde's injury-time goal secures vital 2-1 win for Real Madrid at Celta Vigo

Federico Valverde scored a deflected winner four minutes into stoppage time to earn Real Madrid a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo on Friday, keeping their La Liga title chase alive The crucial win at the Balaídos stadium ended a two-game losing streak for Madrid, who had entered the match seeking to bounce back from consecutive defeats

Madrid, playing without some key players including the injured Kylian Mbappé, took an early lead in the 11th minute when Aurélien Tchouaméni found the net with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area However, the home side responded 14 minutes later. Celta's Williot Swedberg broke down the left flank and delivered a low cross for striker Borja Iglesias to level the score in the 25th minute

With the match appearing headed for a draw that would have further dented their title aspirations, Valverde took a shot from outside the box deep into added time The strike took a deflection before finding the net, securing three vital points for the visitors After the match, former Real Madrid player Álvaro Arbeloa praised the Uruguayan midfielder, describing him as "everything a Real Madrid player should be"