FC Barcelona firmly maintained its position at the top of the league after a thrilling comeback win against Celta Vigo in a fierce battle. However, the injury of key player Robert Lewandowski remains a painful variable.
Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 4-3 in its home match in the 32nd round of the La Liga 2024-2025 season held at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Barcelona, Spain, on the 19th.
Thus, Barcelona remained at the top of the league with 73 points, going unbeaten in its last 11 matches (9 wins, 2 draws). It maintained a 7-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, having played one more game.
The match was a shootout from the first half to the last moments of the second half. Due to the impact of having played a Champions League quarterfinal earlier in the week, Barcelona implemented a rotation. Key player Lamine Yamal started on the bench while Raphinha returned to his original position on the right wing, and Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermín López were placed in the center.
Barcelona scored the opening goal just 12 minutes into the match. Ferran Torres, who received a pass from Iñigo Martínez, broke through the defense and scored with an accurate low shot.
The balance was quickly disrupted. Three minutes later, Borja Iglesias finished off a cross from Pablo Durán, making it 1-1. In this process, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny left a disappointing moment by failing to properly handle the ball.
In the second half, Celta's sharp counterattacks became effective. In the 7th minute of the second half, Borja Iglesias calmly finished off a long pass that went behind the defense, completing the comeback. Ten minutes later, he completed his hat trick with a solo run from the halfway line that led to his third goal. Iglesias completely neutralized Barcelona's defense and led Celta Vigo's attack.
Barcelona made a significant move by substituting Yamal and Dani Olmo in the 14th minute of the second half. The effect was immediate. In the 19th minute of the second half, Raphinha connected with Lewandowski after receiving a penetrating pass from Yamal, and Olmo, who received Raphinha's through pass, calmly finished in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
Four minutes later, Raphinha equalized with a header connecting to a right cross from Yamal. Barcelona continued to pressure Celta, but Celta, which substituted Iago Aspas and Fernando López in response, found it difficult to regain the momentum.
A dramatic scene unfolded in second-half injury time. In the 8th minute of the second half, Olmo fell after a collision with Yoel Yago in the box, and a penalty kick was awarded after a VAR review. Raphinha, who took the kick, calmly struck into the bottom right corner of the goal, completing the comeback win. It was his 30th attacking point (23 goals, 7 assists) recorded in the 48th match of the season.
However, the team could not be entirely joyful. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Lewandowski fell clutching the back of his left thigh and was eventually substituted. The possibility of a hamstring injury raised concerns about his participation in the UEFA Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter Milan on the 30th.
While they achieved a dramatic victory, Barcelona faced another variable at a crucial juncture as they pursued the titles in both the Champions League and La Liga simultaneously. With young attacking talents like Raphinha, Yamal, and Olmo performing well, how they fill Lewandowski's absence is expected to be the key issue for the remainder of the season.
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