Barça breaks Celta in eight minutes
Xavi’s men were down 0-2 in the 80th minute and won 3-2 to put pressure on Real Madrid in their derby with Atlético
MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona signed a miraculous victory (3-2) this Saturday against RC Celta on the sixth day of LaLiga EA Sports, tied for 80 minutes by Rafa Benítez’s script but capable of scoring three goals in the last minutes, thus who continues to put pressure on Real Madrid for the lead.
Xavi Hernández’s team was very close to suffering a good correction and a brake on their good feelings at the beginning of the campaign. Celta took over the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, scored two goals, from Larsen and Douvikas, and forgave several more against a great Ter Stegen. The local coach put everything he had, which is a lot this season, and came back with a double from Robert Lewandowski and the final 3-2 from Joao Cancelo in the 89th minute.
A Barça that was coming from a win after a win found itself with the tangle of Benítez, a coach with a thousand battles, and a Celta that eliminated passing lines and consciously covered gaps inside. After scoring 10 goals in the last two games, Xavi’s team barely had a chance in the first half with Joao Félix.
Meanwhile, Celta, who seemed to start far from the rival goal, defended with authority and came out with great danger. Larsen gave the break that the light blue team needed to go ahead and also made it 0-1 after 20 minutes. It was after a corner kick that Barça neither cleared nor controlled, misplaced behind as on more than one occasion, while losing Frenkie de Jong due to injury.
The only one that the League champion found a pass inside was that chance by Félix that went ahead, but Celta could have gone with a greater advantage, if not for the interventions of Oriol Romeu and Ter Stegen, especially against a Larsen headbutt. De la Torre’s poor aim also smiled at a Barça heavily punished by an ex like Mingueza on the wing and without rhythm or reaction to adversity.
Gavi entered for the Dutchman but the speed did not increase in the premises, while Celta remained comfortable and with arrivals. Benítez’s men claimed a penalty on Bamba after the restart and, with Barça forced to attack, the danger at the back grew. Lamine Yamal was the first replacement at half-time, but he did not appear.
Aspas had it and so did Mingueza, with Celta forgiving without fearing what was coming. Ferran missed the best culé before being replaced by Raphinha, but in the back and forth it was Douvikas who scored for those from Vigo (0-2). Barça went all out to save the furniture and found an epic comeback to go from a possible setback to a victory that boosts morale.
Celta was careless in those 8 minutes as they had not done in the previous 80 and Lewandowski scored a double as a pure forward. He first took advantage of a good pass from Joao Félix, stretching his foot as far as possible to beat Villar and, shortly after, killed from the penalty spot. The icing was missing, which Cancelo was in charge of giving to the Olímpic, celebrated in style by a champion of everything with Manchester City.
Celta finished with its hands on its head the match that aimed to revive its season, which, with four points, will have to wait. Meanwhile, Barça maintains its winning streak, capable of doing its homework in the blink of an eye while waiting to take advantage of the Madrid derby and remain in the lead (16).
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: FC BARCELONA, 3 – RC CELTA DE VIGO, 2. (0-1, at rest).
–ALIGNMENTS.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Koundé, Christensen (Balde, min.60), Marcos Alonso (Yamal, rest); Gündogan, Romeu (Araujo, rest), De Jong (Gavi, min.36); Ferran Torres (Raphinha, min.72), Lewandowski and Joao Félix.
RC CELTA DE VIGO: Iván Villar; Mingueza, Unai (Miguel Rodríguez, min.91), Domínguez, Starfelt, Ristic; De la Torre, Beltrán; Iago Aspas (Swedberg, min.78), Larsen (Douvikas, min.66) and Bamba (Dotor, min.91).
–GOALS:
0 – 1, min.19, Larsen.
0 – 2, min.76, Douvikas.
1 – 2, min.81, Lewandowski.
2 – 2, min.85, Lewandowski.
3 – 2, min.89, Joao Cancelo.
–REFEREE: Melero López (C. Andaluz). He cautioned Christensen (min.36) and Gavi (min.39) for Barça. And Unia Núñez (min.43) in Celta.
— STADIUM: Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, 43,272 spectators.