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Celta Vigo logo
La Liga
Apr 26, 2015 at 8pm UK
 
Real Madrid logo

2-4

Nolito (9'), Mina (28')
FT(HT: 2-3)
Kroos (16'), Hernandez (24', 69'), Rodriguez (43')

Javier Hernandez at the double as Real Madrid survive Celta Vigo scare

Real Madrid survive a stern test of their La Liga title credentials by beating Celta Vigo 4-2 in a madcap encounter that spawned five goals in the first period.

Javier Hernandez scored twice as Real Madrid survived a rigorous examination of their title credentials by beating Celta Vigo 4-2 to keep the pressure on La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid CF at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on April 26, 2015© Getty Images

Hernandez, who fired Real into the semi-finals of the Champions League this week, replicated those heroics on the domestic stage to help clinch a win that saw them move back to within two points of Barca.

Carlo Ancelotti's side came into the contest knowing that victory was essential in order to keep the pressure on the Catalans, who moved five points clear at the summit yesterday.

However, Nolito opened the scoring on 10 minutes with a goal that would have been celebrated just as passionately some 1000km away in Catalunya.

The Celta hitman broke into double figures for the season when he danced in between a couple of defenders before firing past the unsighted Iker Casillas to give Celta a shock lead.

It was the wake-up call that Los Blancos needed as Real flipped the game on its head within 14 minutes of the opener. First, Toni Kroos levelled up with a neat finish following good work from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Then, Hernandez - on loan from Manchester United - netted his second in the space of four days, combining well with James Rodriguez before finding the net from an acute angle.

In an end-to-end encounter, the pendulum then swung in Celta's favour once more, as Santi Mina tapped into an empty net after his initial effort came back off the post.

Nevertheless, James was on hand to fire Madrid ahead once more in the dying stages of a thrilling first half, after Ronaldo had struck the post minutes earlier.

Hugo Mallo went close for the hosts early in the second half but the tempo inevitably decreased, with both sides failing to scale the heights evident in the first period.

The Mexican perhaps should have picked up his brace on 62 minutes by firing over the bar, but he made amends nine minutes later, latching on to Sergio Ramos's ball to finish past Sergio Alvarez.

Despite establishing a cushion for the first time, Madrid did not need one as Ancelotti's charges held on to their two-goal lead and kept pace with Barcelona in the final stretch of the season.

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Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish league football match Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid CF at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on April 26, 2015
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona14111242142834
2Atletico MadridAtletico148512181329
3Real Madrid1283125111427
4Villarreal127322319424
5GironaGirona146352018221
6Mallorca146351312121
7Osasuna136341720-321
8Athletic Bilbao135531913620
9Real BetisBetis145541616020
10Real Sociedad135351110118
11Celta Vigo145362224-218
12Rayo Vallecano124441313016
13Sevilla134361218-615
14Leganes133551316-314
15Getafe142751011-113
16AlavesAlaves144191524-913
17Las PalmasLas Palmas143381825-712
18Valencia122461219-710
19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179


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