Madrid keep Barcelona honest with win over Celta Vigo

Real Madrid have beaten Celta Vigo 2-0 as they bid to increase the pressure on traditional rivals Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league.

Leaders Barca host Atletico Madrid on Sunday (Monday AEST) needing a win to quash any fears of a late-season slump.

Marco Asensio put Madrid ahead three minutes before halftime after good work from Vinicius Junior on the flank, before centre-back Eder Militao once again showed his punch in attack by heading in from a corner in the 48th minute.

The win trimmed Barcelona’s still-healthy lead to eight points, with Madrid having played a game more.

Two rounds ago, Barcelona could have gone ahead by as many as 15 points before they were held to two consecutive draws that allowed Madrid to breathe a little bit of life into their apparently doomed title defence.

A loss by Barcelona to third-placed Atletico at the Nou Camp on Sunday could embolden Madrid with eight games to play.

“We are going to keep fighting until the last game,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said.

“We have to try to win these next three games, and then after the Copa del Rey final we will see what the difference is.”

Coach Carlo Ancelotti left first-choice players Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Rodrygo, and Dani Carvajal, who all started the 2-0 Champions League win at Chelsea last week, on the bench at the start of the match with Celta.

In their place were Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Nacho Fernandez and Marco Asensio.

Ancelotti’s B team did just fine in a match in which the 35-year-old Aspas made his 450th career appearance for Celta.

Real Sociedad fought back to beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 and strengthen their hold on fourth place and the last Champions League spot after Real Betis stumbled in a 3-2 loss at Osasuna.

Seventh-placed Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 at Almeria, boosting the Basque club’s chances of fighting for a European place, while Valladolid’s 1-0 win over Girona lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone.