Celta Vigo manager Claudio Giráldez expressed frustration after his team’s narrow 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Balaídos, pointing to a controversial moment in the buildup to Federico Valverde’s decisive goal and acknowledging the tactical difficulties his side faced throughout the match.
Speaking to the press after the game, Giráldez said Celta struggled to execute their pressing plan against a patient Real Madrid side that controlled long spells of possession.
“It was very difficult for us to adjust
to the high press we wanted to apply. Real Madrid were patient, pinning us back for long stretches, and it’s a shame the game slipped away in that one play where so much happened.”
The Celta manager was particularly critical of the refereeing decision during the sequence that led to Valverde’s goal, believing a foul on Fer López should have been called.
“It was a foul on Fer Lopez before Valverde’s goal. There was a very similar incident earlier that resulted in a yellow card for Asencio, but neither the referee nor VAR saw it that way. The foul was clear. Then they got lucky with the rebound and we left frustrated. Iago had a chance to win it, but it was a match where we weren’t comfortable. That goal was a blow.”
Giráldez also revealed that Real Madrid’s tactical setup caused significant problems for Celta’s pressing structure. According to the coach, Madrid’s unusual positioning — particularly Vinicius Jr drifting centrally and the team attacking more heavily on the right side — disrupted the defensive reference points his team typically relies on.
“We had a lot of doubts about our pressing in the first half because they did something unusual. Real Madrid usually has a lot of players on the left side, but in this match they played with many on the right, with Vinicius playing centrally for much of the game, which really disrupted our pressing. They lacked a reference point up front, which made it difficult for Starfelt and Marcos Alonso to adjust. We started the second half better in that respect.”
Despite improving after halftime, Giráldez admitted his side failed to take advantage of their opportunities and was ultimately hurt by the tactical changes he made during the match.
“I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to capitalize on our turnovers to score. Furthermore, my tactical approach wasn’t good in terms of the solutions we had on the bench for what was happening. We worsened with the substitutions; we lacked energy and our organization was poor.”
