Álvaro Arbeloa praised Federico Valverde, calling him “everything a Real Madrid player should be,” after Valverde scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner against Celta Vigo on Friday, keeping Madrid in the LaLiga title chase.
Aurélien Tchouaméni opened the scoring for Madrid in the 11th minute with a stunning curling shot from the edge of the box, only for Borja Iglesias to equalize for Celta.
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As the match approached a third consecutive league game without victory for Madrid, Valverde’s deflected shot clinched the win for the visitors at 2-1.
“Fede embodies everything a Real Madrid player should be,” Arbeloa remarked on Real Madrid TV after the game. “He possesses the spirit of [club legend] Juanito, along with the qualities that distinguished our greatest players, and today he truly led the team.”
This victory narrowed the gap to league leaders Barcelona to just one point, with Barcelona set to face Athletic Club on Saturday.
“There’s no better way to celebrate 124 years of the best club in the world,” Arbeloa celebrated, acknowledging the club’s anniversary on Friday. “Real Madrid stands strong against all odds, and we should honor the determination exhibited by the players.”
Arbeloa faced criticism following sequential losses to Osasuna and a surprising 1-0 defeat against Getafe, which drew boos from the Bernabéu crowd.
“There’s still a lot of league left and plenty of points to play for,” Arbeloa remarked on Friday. “Every match will be tough… Let’s hope this victory is the kind that leads us to the title. It shows us the right path.”
The coach commended the contributions of young players Thiago Pitarch, César Palacios, and Manuel Ángel, who all played against Celta despite nine first-team players being sidelined due to injuries and suspensions.
“You asked me about [Pitarch] recently, and I’ll say it again: we must recognize his achievements,” Arbeloa stated. “It’s wonderful news for us. It has been a while since we’ve seen a player come through, since Gonzalo [García] and [Raúl] Asencio… He is a true Real Madrid player.”
Madrid now looks ahead to hosting Manchester City on Wednesday for their Champions League last-16 first leg.