Ruud van Nistelrooy opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and after Lopez Angel equalised for the hosts, substitute Robinho grabbed a late winner for Fabio Capello's men.

Real finished the game with 10 men after Guti was sent off for picking up two quick yellow cards in the dying moments.

It was a patched-up Madrid side that made the journey north, with Jose Antonio Reyes, David Beckham, Raul Bravo, Oscar Minambres and Roberto Carlos all injured and Fabio Cannavaro suspended.

Celta welcomed back Pablo Contreras, but were without injury victims Iriney Santos and Borja Oubina, while Uruguayans Pablo Garcia and Nestor Cannobio were suspended.

Raul tested home goalkeeper Jose Pinto in the opening minute, but he was equal to the skipper's shot, while in the 16th minute Iker Casillas caught a 25-yard effort from Gustavo Lopez.

In the 26th minute Van Nistelrooy did well to take the ball past Pinto but the keeper brought the Dutchman down with a trailing leg and the referee had little choice but to award a penalty.

Pinto might have been red-carded but his only punishment was a booking and the pain of watching Van Nistelrooy tuck away the spot-kick.

Celta had the chance to equalise immediately when Habib Bamogo shot from a tight angle but Casillas saved, and when Angel picked up the rebound, the hosts appeared to have a good shout for a penalty of their own after a challenge inside the area.

However, the match official was less impressed this time and booked Angel for diving.

Fernando Gago, booked earlier in the game, gave away a free-kick in the 37th minute and although he got away without a second yellow, his mistake almost led to the equaliser.

The set-piece was delivered into the area by Lopez, the ball cut back across the face of goal and, with the goal at his mercy, Pablo Contreras somehow contrived to fire high and wide.

Van Nistelrooy was Real's most likely outlet to grab a second and in the 40th minute he dribbled down the right flank before forcing Pinto into a smart save at his near post.

With a minute to go to half-time a piece of innovation from Nene got his side level.

Earning possession on the edge of the Real area, he flicked the ball with the back of his foot to find the run of Angel, and the striker fired his shot across Casillas' goalmouth into the far corner of the net.

Gago shot over in the 55th minute before Celta had a great chance to take the lead.

A great one-two put Fernando Baiano through, but his shot was palmed away by Casillas, with Nene firing the rebound high and wide.

In the 67th minute Van Nistelrooy fed Gonzalo Higuain whose shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Pinto.

With 15 minutes to go Celta again had a penalty shout as Santos was hauled down after flicking the ball over the head of Sergio Ramos, but nothing was given.

In the 83rd minute a stroke of fortune saw the visitors grab an invaluable winner.

Higuain's whipped cross was palmed away by Pinto but the ball fell kindly for Robinho, whose looping header found the net.

In the final minute of the game Guti was booked for unsporting behaviour, and then proceeded to talk himself into a second yellow and an early bath.