REAL MADRID were the beneficiaries of some serious good fortune after an extraordinary incident in their game against Celta Vigo.
Los Blancos defeated Celta 3-2 in a tight affair at the Bernabeu on Sunday to keep the pressure on league leaders Barcelona.
Real trail Barca by four points in the La Liga title race with three games to play.
Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe‘s double had Carlo Ancelotti‘s side 3-0 up and cruising inside 48 minutes, but Javi Rodriguez and Williot Svandberg struck for Celta to set up a grandstand finale.
In the 79th minute, it was the visitors pushing hard for an equaliser that would have completed a superb comeback, as they look to bag a Europa League spot.
Iago Aspas, the former Liverpool forward, slid an incisive ball through for Pablo Duran to chase, with the Spaniard clean through on goal.
He bore down on Real ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois, with Madrid‘s makeshift centre-half Aurelien Tchouameni in tow.
Duran’s effort seemed to squeeze through the Belgian shot-stopper, heading over the line.
But the spin on the ball meant that it changed direction and nestled into Courtois’ grateful clasp.
The Madrid goalkeeper looked mightily relieved to jump onto the loose ball, and Madrid survived an incredibly close shave.
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Fans on social media called the incident “black magic”, while another said that “the entire Bernabeu was blowing at once” in an attempt to keep the ball out of the home net.
Earlier in the game, Guler curled home a stunner in the 33rd minute to open the scoring, before Mbappe doubled the advantage just six minutes later.
The Frenchman rifled an effort from outside the box into the far corner, beyond the desperate reach of visiting ‘keeper Vicente Guaita.
Mbappe raced onto Federico Valverde‘s defence-splitting pass to make it three with the second half just three minutes old, confidently finishing into the corner with his left foot to score his 24th league goal of his debut season.
Rodriguez benefited from a penalty box melee with 21 minutes to play, as he scrambled in Vigo’s first.
Svandberg latched onto a sensational reverse pass from Aspas to ghost in behind the Madrid backline and slot beyond Courtois to haul the away side right back into contention.
However, they would leave the capital frustrated, with Duran’s extraordinary chance one to rue.
