Barcelona Stages Thrilling Comeback to Overcome Celta Vigo in LaLiga Clash
Barcelona achieved an amazing comeback on Saturday, triumphing over Celta Vigo with a score of 4-3 after falling behind by two goals. This win not only highlights their resilience but also helps them extend their lead over Real Madrid in the La Liga title race, putting them seven points ahead.
Things looked bleak for the Catalans as they found themselves down 3-1 after Borja Iglesias scored a hat-trick for Celta. However, they rallied in the last half-hour; first, Dani Olmo scored to ignite hope, and then Raphinha netted twice, including a dramatic penalty in the 98th minute. This win was crucial, especially with Real Madrid, the defending champions, set to host Athletic Bilbao the following day and a Clasico matchup looming in May.
After the match, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team’s fighting spirit. “This attitude, this mentality of not giving up, is great to see… we tried everything to get the three points and we did it,” he said. However, Flick did express concern over Robert Lewandowski, who left the match with a potential hamstring issue, putting his availability for the upcoming Copa del Rey final in doubt.
Barcelona started strong, taking the lead in the 12th minute when Ferran Torres found space and shot past Celta’s goalkeeper, Vicente Guaita. But Celta quickly struck back, with Iglesias leveling the score just three minutes later after capitalizing on a defensive lapse. Things went from bad to worse for Barcelona as Iglesias scored again early in the second half, putting Celta up 3-1.
Barcelona faced a challenging setback but refused to back down. The introduction of substitutes Olmo and Lamine Yamal ignited the team’s revival. Olmo scored the first goal, setting the stage for an impressive comeback. Raphinha then netted two goals, with the final one coming from the penalty spot after a foul on Olmo was validated by VAR.
Raphinha stepped up in the absence of Lewandowski, sealing the thrilling victory with a powerful shot into the top corner. Olmo reflected on the match, stating, “These are three points that take us closer to our objective; they’re important, and we have to continue.”
