In a match that had fans on the edge of their seats, Barcelona overturned a 3-1 deficit to beat Celta Vigo 4-3 in Saturday’s La Liga showdown. A last-gasp penalty from Raphinha in the 98th minute not only salvaged three points but also extended Barça’s lead over Real Madrid to seven points at the top of the table.
Celta Vigo looked poised for an upset after Borja Iglesias powered in a hat-trick, exploiting Barcelona’s high defensive line three times and leveling the contest at 3-3. Iglesias’s blitzkrieg—two goals early in the second half and another on the break—momentarily stunned the home crowd and handed the visitors hope of spoiling Barça’s title push.
But Hansi Flick’s halftime message to “play calmer and connect better” paid off. Barcelona’s substitutes sparked the comeback. Dani Olmo, introduced in the 59th minute, found the net just five minutes later thanks to a slick build-up with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Then teen sensation Lamine Yamal’s pinpoint cross set up Raphinha to nod in the equalizer.
With momentum back at Camp Nou, Olmo was fouled in stoppage time, earning a spot-kick after a VAR review. Raphinha coolly converted, capping his 30th goal of the season and underlining his impact in Barcelona’s attacking arsenal.
Barcelona’s resilience shines as a case study in late-game mentality. Ferran Torres, who opened the scoring for his 10th league goal, and Raphinha have now been directly involved in over 40% of the team’s goals this campaign. Celta Vigo remain seventh with 43 points, while Barça’s victory keeps Real Madrid under pressure ahead of their clash with Athletic Bilbao.
“It wasn’t always our best performance, but the team never gave up,” said Olmo. “This win moves us closer to our objective, and we’ll carry this fighting spirit forward.”
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
