Barcelona increased their lead at the top of the league to seven points with a dramatic late comeback at home.
LaLiga leaders Barcelona rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Celta Vigo 4-3 in a thrilling match, with Raphinha scoring a penalty in stoppage time to extend their advantage over Real Madrid at the top of the standings.
With the score level at 3-3 after Celta’s Borja Iglesias completed a hat-trick, Saturday’s match in Barcelona appeared to be heading for a draw until Dani Olmo won a penalty deep into injury time, which Raphinha converted to secure all three points.
This result puts pressure back on Real Madrid, who are set to face fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Celta Vigo currently sits in seventh place with 43 points.
“This is football. We aimed to win this match, but we weren’t always at our best,” said Barcelona substitute and goal scorer Dani Olmo to DAZN.
“However, the team pulled through in the end, and the fans supported us until the very last moment.”
“It’s three points towards our goal, but we need to keep pushing forward.”
Barcelona took the lead when Ferran Torres collected the ball in midfield, found space to dribble towards the goal, and fired a shot from the edge of the box, beating goalkeeper Vicente Guaita for his 10th league goal of the season.
However, Celta quickly equalized when Pablo Duran delivered an excellent cross from the wing.
Wojciech Szczesny rushed off his line to intercept the ball but missed it, allowing Iglesias to score into an empty net.
Seven minutes into the second half, Barcelona fell behind when Frenkie de Jong misjudged a long ball, letting Iglesias break through and score his second goal past Szczesny.
As Barcelona pressed for an equalizer, a clearance from Celta found Iglesias again. He took advantage of the home side’s high defensive line, sprinting through on goal to beat Szczesny for the third time and complete his hat-trick.
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In a bid to recover quickly, Barcelona managed to score again in the 64th minute when Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha set up Olmo, who found the net just five minutes after coming on as a substitute.
“He [coach Hansi Flick] advised me that we needed to play with a bit more composure and improve our connection with one another,” Olmo shared regarding Flick’s words before he entered the field.
Just four minutes later, Barcelona equalized at 3-3 when Lamine Yamal delivered a cross into the 6-yard box, allowing Raphinha to leap above the defense and score with a header.
Celta, still reeling from the equalizer, aimed to secure a draw, but Olmo was awarded a penalty after being fouled in the box, and the referee confirmed the decision following a VAR review.
In the 98th minute, Raphinha stepped up and fired the ball into the top corner, marking his 30th goal across all competitions this season.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling because we did many things well,” said Celta’s Pablo Duran. “They possess a very high level, particularly in the final third, and they can execute plays like that.
“We should take pride in our performance, coming here and demonstrating our character while playing our style.
For much of the match, we were better than them, but we left with a disappointing feeling due to the result.”
