Kylian Mbappé scored twice as Real Madrid held off a determined Celta Vigo comeback to stay within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona ahead of next weekend’s El Clásico.

Real Madrid opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Arda Güler curled in a shot from a short corner, helped slightly by a deflection into the top corner.

Six minutes later, Mbappé made it 2-0 with a powerful strike high past Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita after a swift counter-attack.

Just three minutes into the second half, Mbappé struck again. He latched onto a brilliant through ball from Güler and calmly slotted it into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Celta Vigo refused to give up, and Javi Rodríguez pulled one back with just over 20 minutes to go, finishing from close range after Madrid failed to clear a corner.

The result keeps Real Madrid’s title hopes alive, setting the stage for a crucial clash against Barcelona in the upcoming El Clásico.

What seemed like an easy win for Real Madrid quickly turned tense when Celta Vigo legend Iago Aspas showed his class with a brilliant pass to set up fellow substitute Williot Swedberg, who scored in the 76th minute to make it 3-2.

Just two minutes later, Pablo Duran almost grabbed an equaliser after another moment of magic from Aspas sent him through on goal.

His shot slipped under goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, but the Madrid keeper recovered just in time to prevent it from crossing the line.

As Celta pushed for a late equaliser, the game opened up with chances for both teams in a thrilling finish. However, Real Madrid held their ground and secured a vital three points.

The win means Madrid will go into next weekend’s El Clásico against Barcelona with momentum. A fifth straight league victory would bring them within one point of the league leaders, with just three games left to play.

Celta, on the other hand, remain seventh as they continue their push for a European spot.