Real Madrid drop two more points after Bale double looked to have sealed win at Celta

CELTA VIGO 2-2 REAL MADRID: Gareth Bale scored twice inside two minutes but Real Madrid still managed to drop two more points and find themselves 16 points behind leaders Barcelona one week before the midway point of the season.

They have a game in hand but on current form there are no guarantees they will be able to use it to close the gap on the runaway leaders.

Bale looked back to his best but shaky keeping from Jesus Navas and some sloppy defending, typified by Marcelo cost them dear. On 33 minutes Celta were ahead.

They broke quickly and Iago Aspas found Daniel Wass in space with Marcelo nowhere to be seen down the Madrid left.

 He spotted Navas off his line and chipped him from the edge of the area to make it 1-0

Real Madrid responded with two goals inside 95 seconds and both were first time finishes from Bale. The first was perfectly crafted for him by Toni Kroos and the second made to measure by Isco. 

But on both occasions the through balls needed to be dispatched and both times Bale, who had done well to time diagonal runs in behind Celta defenders applied subtle touches to send the ball past Ruben Blanco.

Bale had turned the game on its head but Madrid were almost playing with 10 when two minutes before the break Hugo Mallo felt the full force of Casemiro’s elbow and the Brazil midfielder was perhaps fortunate to receive just a yellow.

Mallo was the aggressor in the second half when he kicked Bale and was cautioned.

Celta stepped up a gear in the second period, Madrid, in contrast, were playing with the handbrake on. 

Modric and Isco were taken off on 75 minutes but Cristiano Ronaldo could easily have been the switch – he was having an off night and Madrid were no longer threatening.

Aspas was still full of running and he should have equalized on 71 minutes. He won a penalty when he went through on goal and was impeded by Navas. 

The Madrid keeper had come charging out of his goal and he was almost as far off his line when he saved Aspas’ penalty – it should have been retaken but Madrid escaped, albeit not for long.

On 81 minutes the equalizer came. Marcelo pirouetted and possession was lost. Aspas fed Wass and when he crossed Maxi Gomez’s thumping header left Navas with no chance.

It could have been worse for Celta when Aspas went down in the area and claimed a penalty. He had played for it ensuring he clipped Marcelo’s leg before going to ground. The referee made the right call.

By now Bale had been replaced by Marco Asensio but it was too late for Real Madrid to turn one point into three. Celta supporters celebrated the draw as if it were a win and Real Madrid faced up to headlines about how they remain stranded in fourth – at this rate they will have to play the preliminary round in next season’s Champions League.