Celta Vigo 1-2 Real Madrid: Arbeloa's 'general' was 'unbelievable'

Real Madrid bounced back from a two defeats in a row with a hard-fought 2-1 away win over Celta Vigo last night (March 6th). Alvaro Arbeloa needed his troops to put recent troubles behind them and they did just that.

Aurelien Tchouameni gave Madrid the lead in the 11th minute with a sensational strike only for Celta to equalize 14 minutes later. Trent Alexander-Arnold's poor defending allowed the hosts to break and Borja Iglesias levelled.

Madrid looked set to be held to a point until the 90+4th minute when Federico Valverde's deflected effort found the back of the net. It was a crucial victory for Arbeloa's side and they moved to within a point of Barcelona in the La Liga title race.

Mendy masterclass helps Madrid to victory

Arbeloa turned to Ferland Mendy for the game against Celta after the French left-back returned from injury. He put in an eye-catching performance that bodes well for Madrid ahead of their Champions League last 16 tie against Manchester City.

Mendy played a key role in Valverde's winner and was impressive defensively and going forward. He won all three of his ground duels, and one of three aerial duels. The Frenchman made a vital last man tackle and didn't put a foot wrong.

The experienced left-back headed into the game knowing he needed to prove his worth. There has been talk over his future at the Bernabeu due to recurring injury issues.

Arbeloa gave a glowing verdict of Mendy after the game. He told reporters (via Madrid Zone):

"When Mendy is on the pitch, it's easier for Real Madrid to win."

Mendy might have reclaimed a starting berth in Arbeloa's team following his outing against Celta. He made just his fourth appearance this season.

Fans hail 'unbelievable' Mendy

Mendy came in for praise from fans on X for his display last night with many suggesting he was the reason Madrid won the game. That was the stance given from one fan who wrote:

"Ugly game but the 3 points are the most important thing... Also Mendy was unbelievable today man this goal doesn’t happen without him."

Another posted highlights of his performance and talked up his defensive performance:

"Ferland Mendy vs Celta Vigo (A) General."

One fan compared his last-ditch tackle to that of his crucial defensive contribution against Manchester City in the Champions League:

"Shades of Mendy's goal-line clearance vs City. Huge challenge on Aspas 93rd minute just before the game-winner."

Another added:

"This win wouldn’t be possible without Ferland Mendy, he was one of our best players by far defensively and in the attack. He gets so much criticism and deserves to be praised for this performance, our best defender in the game."

One responded:

"He surprised me fr! What a performance!"

Mendy has been with Madrid since the summer of 2019 and most Madridistas know that when he's at his best he is one of the best full-backs in Europe. The only issue is his lack of availability and hopefully he'll kick on from here and become an important player for the rest of the season.