IN SPORT.ES
Real Madrid dropped two points against Celta Vigo on Sunday, allowing Barcelona to move within one of the La Liga leaders.
Zinedine Zidane gave Eden Hazard his first game since he suffered his injury against Paris Saint-Germain in November, while Marcelo and Gareth Bale were also included.
However Celta took the lead with a slick move, when Iago Aspas fed Fedor Smolov with a great through ball and the Russia finished past Thibaut Courtois as if he had ice in his veins.
Madrid tried to hit back, with Casemiro firing narrowly over from distance. Gareth Bale should have scored after a brilliant move between Karim Benzema and Hazard, but his shot was inches too high.
Celta almost made it two on the stroke of half-time but Courtois clawed out Joseph Aidoo’s header.
Sergio Ramos levelled early in the second but it was correctly disallowed for offside. A shame for Madrid, because the team move in the build-up was liquid football.
No matter; moments later Toni Kroos levelled, finishing from Marcelo’s cut-back. He has 14 La Liga goals and six of them have now come against Celta, so this was no surprise.
Madrid moved ahead when Celta goalkeeper Ruben Blanco felled Hazard, needlessly, and Ramos slammed in the penalty.
It looked like that was that but Denis Suarez played a superb reverse ball and Santi Mina finished well with five minutes on the clock.
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Karim Benzema had two efforts late on but one went over and one was kept out by Ruben Blanco. Madrid are on 53 points, Barca 52. The race is on.