Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick on his return to the starting lineup and Lamine Yamal scored for the third consecutive match as Barca put four past Celta Vigo at Balaidos. The win cut the gap between Barcelona and Madrid to three points after Los Blancos failed to beat Rayo Vallecano earlier in the day.
Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford were either side of Lewandowski in the front three as Hansi used a midfield three of Frenkie De Jong, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez. Claudio Giraldez made the rather bizarre decision not to start both Bryan Zaragoza and Iago Aspas, players that regularly cause damage against Barcelona. Ferran Jutgla, Borja Iglesias and Pablo Duran started up front instead.
The match was defined by an entertaining blend of attacking urgency and defensive vulnerability from both sides, culminating in a six-goal thriller that ultimately favoured the Catalan visitors. The initial minutes set a frantic tone, with Barcelona immediately trying to enforce a high defensive line and establish possession deep in the Celta half. This aggressive intent quickly translated into the first serious opportunity of the contest.
Between the fifth and eighth minutes, Barcelona’s pressing game and domination paid off. Fermin Lopez took a shot in the 7th minute that didn’t pose any real danger because it was blocked, or so Celta thought as it was confirmed by VAR that Marcos Alonso had handled in his attempt to block the shot.
In the 10th minute, after a lengthy VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot and Robert Lewandowski stepped up and coolly dispatched the effort, putting Barça ahead.
However, any hope for Barcelona to settle into the lead was dashed just a minute later. Barcelona’s high line being aggressively exposed proved costly for the Catalans as Celta Vigo reacted with a clinical counter-attack.
Exploiting the space behind the advanced defensive line, Sergio Carreira received the ball, held his nerve, and slotted home the equaliser, assisted by Borja Iglesias, making it 1-1. This sequence highlighted the inherent risk in Flick’s system, where a momentary lapse in organisation or a well-timed pass from the opponent could instantly negate offensive pressure.
The period around the 20th minute provided arguably the most chaotic passage of play in the half, featuring a dramatic triple near-miss that underscored the end-to-end nature of the game. A shot from López was blocked by Ilaix Moriba, before Marcus Rashford, who would go on to have a decisive night, hit the post on the rebound. As the ball pinged around the box, Celta goalkeeper Ionut Radu denied Lewandowski from close range on the follow-up, keeping the scores level. This moment proved that while Barcelona’s attack was relentless, Celta’s defence, spearheaded by desperate blocks and crucial goalkeeping, still had a foothold in the contest.
Barcelona’s persistence however paid off in the 37th minute. Rashford, showing flashes of his best form, delivered a perfectly weighted cross that found Robert Lewandowski between the two centre-backs. The striker met the ball on the volley, side-footing it past Radu to restore the visitors’ lead.
The game’s disciplinary record finally opened in the 42nd minute when Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí received a yellow card for a tripping foul. Just one minute later, Celta punished the Blaugrana once more. In the 43rd minute, Borja Iglesias delivered a stunning response, smashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box over Wojciech Szczęsny and into the net. The goal, assisted by Ferran Jutglà, made it 2-2, marking the second time Celta had equalised, demonstrating immense resilience and clinical finishing.
With the first half seemingly destined to end level, Barcelona delivered a crucial psychological blow in stoppage time. In the 45th minute, Lamine Yamal scored, with the assist credited to Marcus Rashford, whose pass found the teenage sensation. Yamal’s shot, which took a deflection, beat Radu at his near post, allowing Barcelona to snatch a 3-2 lead just before the whistle. This crucial goal ensured Barcelona took a vital advantage into the dressing room, a necessary tonic after such a high-stakes, breathless half.
The second half saw a noticeable change in rhythm and control. Following a halftime substitution for Celta with Javi Rodríguez replacing Óscar Mingueza in the 46th minute, Barcelona managed the ball with greater authority, slowing the frenetic pace and forcing Celta to sit deeper despite trailing.
Celta attempted to inject fresh energy with changes in the 58th minute (Bryan Zaragoza for Ferran Jutglà and the 70th minute, where Iago Aspas came on for goalscorer Borja Iglesias, but the tactical adjustment failed to break Barcelona’s newfound defensive structure.
The decisive moment of the half arrived in the 73rd minute, courtesy of the partnership that drove the victory. From a corner delivered by Marcus Rashford, Robert Lewandowski flicked a header at the near post past the keeper, completing his brilliant hat-trick and giving Barcelona the much-needed two-goal cushion. It was a goal born of set-piece quality, confirming Lewandowski’s lethal instinct and Rashford’s creative dominance with his second assist of the night.
The final quarter of the match was dominated by substitutions and mounting discipline issues. Celta made a double change in the 78th minute, replacing Manu Fernández and Hugo Sotelo. For Barcelona, the defensive changes began in the 86th minute, bringing on Andreas Christensen for Dani Olmo and Gerard Martín for Alejandro Balde, aiming to secure the result.
In the 87th minute, Lamine Yamal nearly found his second, racing clear of the Celta defence but seeing his low shot flash across the goal and strike the far post, bouncing out to safety. A minute later, Rashford was substituted for Ferran Torres, earning a yellow card for time-wasting as he departed. A flurry of subsequent bookings saw Lewandowski, Miguel Román, and Frenkie de Jong all enter the referee’s book between the 88th and 90th minutes.
The match ended on a sour note for Barcelona when Frenkie de Jong was dismissed in the 90+4th minute after receiving a second yellow card for a bad foul on Iago Aspas, marking the only red card of the game. Despite this late negative, the final score of 4-2 confirmed a hard-fought, thrilling victory for Barcelona, demonstrating immense offensive quality but leaving questions over their ability to manage defensive transitions, especially during the chaotic first half.
