Raphinha leads stunning Barcelona comeback against Celta Vigo in La Liga thriller

Raphinha leads stunning Barcelona comeback against Celta Vigo in La Liga thriller
Raphinha leads stunning Barcelona comeback against Celta Vigo in La Liga thriller

New Delhi: Barcelona staged an incredible turnaround at Montjuic on Saturday night, coming from 3-1 down to edge past a spirited Celta Vigo side 4-3 in a stunning La Liga clash. The win pushes Hansi Flick’s team seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top in their pursuit of the league title.

Things began smoothly for the hosts as Ferran Torres opened the scoring early on. But any thoughts of a routine win were quickly dashed when Borja Iglesias fired back almost instantly with a clinical finish to level the match.

The Spanish striker wasn’t done as Barcelona’s high line was repeatedly exposed, Iglesias went on to complete a remarkable hat-trick, striking twice more around the hour mark. Celta suddenly found themselves 3-1 ahead with a famous away win in their sights.

But the Catalans found a spark in the form of Raphinha. The Brazilian slipped a neat pass to Dani Olmo, who reduced the deficit with a calm finish in the 62nd minute. Just three minutes later, Raphinha turned scorer, rising highest to head in a precise Lamine Yamal cross and bring the match level at 3-3.

The match looked set to end in a draw until stoppage time drama changed everything. A VAR review awarded Barca a penalty after Olmo was clipped in the box. Raphinha took responsibility and made no mistake from the spot, sparking wild celebrations inside Montjuic. Flick raced onto the pitch at full-time and embraced the match-winner in an emotional moment.

With his two crucial goals in the match, he has hit the 25 mark in La Liga and overall 52 goals this season for Barcelona. He also became the first Barca player to hit half half-century mark in a single season since Messi, Neymar and Suarez.

What next?

Barcelona’s intense schedule shows no signs of easing. They will next host Mallorca in La Liga on Tuesday, before a massive Copa del Rey final clash against arch-rivals Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo will return to Balaidos for a midweek showdown with Villarreal as they look to regroup after this heartbreaker.

 Barcelona complete a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Celta Vigo, with Raphinha scoring a penalty in the eighth minute of injury time in a La Liga classic at Montjuic.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today