In the game of errors, Barcelona left two points in Vigo when they were already close to victory. After seeing how the leader exhibited brutal forcefulness in the area, Celta was able to not give up and equalized in three fateful minutes for the Blaugrana when they were left with one less due to the expulsion of Casadó. The celestials, who forgave throughout the night, saw how in the final stretch it was Barça that was naïve and allowed them to steal a draw. Yes, last season they won the game in stoppage time with a penalty and this time they gave away a 2-2 score because they didn’t know how to play with ten or maintain a two-goal advantage.
There are stadiums that have a magnetic field that holds you on the grass, a force of gravity that weighs more than usual and crushes you. For Barça, that stage where you always have to sweat is Balaídos, where it was fierce and ruthless for 82 minutes and benevolent and soft at the decisive moment.
From 0-2 to 2-2
The forcefulness of the Blaugrana turned into overconfidence and not closing the game
For many minutes it seemed that the Blaugrana had not left Anoeta, from the overwhelming pressure of Real Sociedad. Celta traced that San Sebastian intensity that caused so many problems for Flick’s team, who once again became entangled in that tangle. Perhaps the soundtrack of Gladiator II that played minutes before inspired the locals, who engaged in a melee to not let Barça’s three brains think.
The presence of Gavi in the midfield, starting for the first time in more than a year after overcoming his serious injury, accompanying Casadó and Pedri, partially equalized the forces. But Celta were already able to take the lead when the restless Iago Aspas crossed too far a shot by Mingueza from the left, in the area where Gerard Martín, who was replacing Balde, only took three minutes to receive a yellow card.
It happens that the circumstantial replacements of the starters are not up to the high level at which the regulars are performing this course. This explained the defeat of Pamplona and a little of that of San Sebastián, since neither Ferran Torres in Navarra nor Fermín in Guipuzcoa knew how to make up for the absence of Lamine Yamal.
However, in Galicia Flick opted for a third solution, Raphinha, a left-footed player whose ideal position until this season was as a winger on the right. And the logic worked this time. Because Marcos Alonso and Mingueza ate a long pass from the Barça defense. Mingueza let the ball bounce and it surpassed him. Raphinha was ready to see it and took the ball to stand against Guaita. The Brazilian paused the play, cut back the La Masia youth player to, with his good leg, shoot and score his thirteenth goal.
Again without Lamine Yamal
Flick chose to place Raphinha, a left-footed player whose ideal position until this season was as a winger on the right.
Barça learned something from their defeat in San Sebastián and was to be strong in the areas. Because while the visitors effectively extracted oil from their first approaches, Celta reached and reached the source but was unable to break the jug. Hugo Álvarez ran into the body of Gerard Martín, a great volley from Ilaix was met with a flight from Iñaki Peña while Douvikas and Bamba started a lot but had a hard time finishing.
Barcelona tried to shake off that danger with shots from distance but got a big scare when Aspas and Gerard Martín paired up in the race. The veteran forward, not so fast anymore but always catchy, noticed contact in the area and wanted to take a cut but Soto Grado did not see enough force to call a penalty. That inflamed the spirits of Balaídos who protested the play a lot, just as in the last action he asked for the second yellow for a foul with the same protagonists.
In the midst of local anger, Raphinha and Lewandowski tried the offside medicine. The captain assisted the nine who scored with great delicacy but the goal did not go up on the scoreboard due to an illegal position.
Problems with Blades
Flick had no choice but to react at half-time, leaving Gerard Martín in the locker room and putting on Héctor Fort.
Flick had no choice but to react at half-time by leaving Martín in the locker room and putting Héctor Fort as a left-footed right-back to try to stop Celta’s attacks. He did not achieve it as he would have liked because the genius of Aspas invented a very distant vaseline that narrowly missed out. But then a gigantic Iñaki Peña emerged, who did not miss a single one. Not even ones from Douvikas or Borja Iglesias that were already cancelled. The goalkeeper also excelled against Hugo Álvarez and Alfon.
History repeated itself as Celta’s failure in the Peña area was followed by a blow from Barcelona in the Guaita area. Raphinha stole Mingueza’s wallet again and mounted a lethal counterattack. The Brazilian threw to Lewandowski, who got a rebound, dribbled past Starfelt and very calmly placed the soft shot, close to the post, before Guaita’s half-way goal.
From minute 82
Casadó was sent off for a double yellow card and a rude error by Koundé made it easier for Celta to enter the game
The leader’s forcefulness was unacceptable for a rival who did not stop forgiving. However, something seemed to go wrong when Raphinha was able to score the third and the post prevented him from doing so. Added to that was the expulsion of Marc Casadó for a double yellow.
There were eight crazy minutes left in which the roles were exchanged. This time it was Alfon who took advantage of Koundé’s overconfidence to beat Peña and make Balaídos dream, who almost didn’t believe it when he immediately saw Hugo Álvarez cut Fort in the area and make it 2-2 in the minute 86.
Everything that had not happened to Celta throughout the night came into play in that fatal final stretch for a Barcelona that did not know how to defend itself with one less and ended up calling for time to save a match that it thought was closed and in which it let the rival sneaks in, sinning in naïf.
Technical sheet
Celta, 2 – Barcelona, 2
Celtic: Guaita, Javi Rodríguez, Starfelt, Marcos Alonso, Mingueza, Fran Beltrán (Hugo Sotelo 75), Ilaix Moriba, Hugo Álvarez, Iago Aspas (Pablo Durán 90), Bamba (Alfon González 62), Douvikas (Borja Iglesias 75)
Coach: Claudio Giraldez
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Koundé, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Gerard Martín (Héctor Fort 46), Casadó, Gavi (De Jong 75), Pedri (Fermín 75), Raphinha, Olmo (Pablo Torre 89), Lewandowski (Pau Víctor 89).
Coach: Hansi Flick
Stadium: Balaídos (24,573 spectators)
Referee: Soto Grado (c. Riojan)
Cards: Roja to Casadó for a double warning (82). Yellow for Gerard Martín, Aspas, Javi Rodríguez, Héctor Fort, Ilaix Moriba, Marcos Alonso,
Goals: 0-1 Raphinha (14); 0-2 Lewandowski (61); 1-2 Alfon González (83); 2-2 Hugo Álvarez (85).
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