Federico Valverde struck deep in stoppage time to hand Real Madrid a dramatic 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo in La Liga, keeping their title challenge alive and preventing another setback after two recent defeats.Madrid had entered the match under pressure following losses to Osasuna and Getafe, results that had left them trailing league leaders Barcelona by four points.Despite missing key players including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham through injury, the visitors started strongly and took the lead in the 11th minute.A short corner routine from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Arda Guler near the edge of the area, and the Turkish midfielder cut the ball back for Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman struck a first-time effort that went in off the post to give Madrid an early advantage. It was his first La Liga goal since April 2024.Celta Vigo responded well and drew level in the 25th minute. Williot Swedberg beat Alexander-Arnold to a long ball on the left flank and drove into the box before setting up Borja Iglesias, who calmly finished to bring the hosts back into the contest.The game remained evenly balanced for long periods. Celta nearly went ahead before halftime when Swedberg found space in the area, but Thibaut Courtois produced a sharp save. At the other end, Vinicius Jr hit the post earlier in the half and later forced a save from goalkeeper Ionut Radu.Madrid thought they had won a penalty in the 71st minute after a handball appeal, but VAR ruled a foul by substitute Cesar Palacios in the build-up.Celta also came close to scoring when veteran forward Iago Aspas cut inside and struck a shot that bounced off the post.Just when the match appeared headed for a draw, Valverde stepped up in the 94th minute. His long-range effort from the edge of the area took a deflection off Marcos Alonso and flew past Radu to secure a crucial late win for Madrid.The victory lifts Real Madrid closer to Barcelona in the title race ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash with Manchester City.