Barcelona defeats Celta Vigo to win in La Liga
Before their pivotal group stage match against Inter Milan, Barcelona had confidence after their victory. At least in the Spanish La Liga 2022–2023, Barcelona keeps on winning. With a 1-0 victory over Celta Viga on Sunday, the Catalan club regained first place in the standings and gained some confidence ahead of a pivotal UEFA Champions League matchup against Inter Milan. This was their eighth straight victory in the competition.
Barcelona has struggled to replicate its league success in the group stage of the European competition, and anything less than a home win against Inter on Wednesday will put the team, which has been without Lionel Messi for two seasons, on the verge of elimination.
Barcelona suffered their second straight Champions League loss last week as it succumbed to Inter in Italy. However, Barcelona has been unbeaten in the Spanish league since a scoreless draw at home against Rayo Vallecano in the league’s debut.
The winning goal was scored by Pedri González in the 17th minute of Sunday’s match after Celta defender Unai Nez failed to completely clear a low cross from Gavi Páez. Celta, which had won three of its previous five league games, played effectively in the second half at the Camp Nou but was unable to take advantage of its scoring opportunities.
Iago Aspas of Celta commented, “The way we played, not even a draw would have been a fair outcome.” In the second half, “we produced five or six chances.” In the 70th minute, a goal by the visitors was ruled offside, and Barcelona relied on Marc-André ter Stegen to make a strong save. The Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso stated, “We suffered a little bit more than we should have.” But the fact that we ultimately earned three points is what matters.
The team ought to have finished the game before halftime, according to Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández. Xavi stated, “We suffered too much in the second half. “They ultimately had a few good scoring opportunities. Although significant, there is still much room for improvement. Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona, who leads the league in goals scored with nine, saw his six-game scoring streak snapped.
The outcome sets up the first clásico of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium the following Sunday. After eight games, the rivals are tied on points with 22 each, although Barcelona leads due to goal differential. Hernández had to invent a defensive lineup because he was missing several defenders due to injury. He started with three left backs, Alejandro Balde as the right back, Marcos Alonso as the centre back, and Jordi Alba in his customary position.
Raphinha and Ferran Torres earned their opportunities from the start, while Ousmane Dembélé and Ansu Fati started the game on the bench. Barcelona defeated Celta for the second time in a row to continue its unbeaten streak in the league. It had just had a 1-0 victory at Mallorca. The Vigo club has 10 points after eight games and is currently in 11th place.
Despite playing more than an hour with a man advantage after defender Germán Pezzella was dismissed in the 35th minute, Real Betis managed to hold Valladolid to a scoreless draw. In the 20th minute of Betis’ most recent league match, a 1-0 loss at Celta, the defence player Luiz Felipe was sent off. With 16 points from eight games following Sunday’s defeat, ManuelPellegrini’club is now in fifth place. With its second victory of the year under its belt, Valladolid was ranked thirteenth.
Espanyol’s winless record now stands at four games after 19th-place Cádiz held the team to a 2-2 draw despite two second-half goals from Joselu. Due to the outcome, the Barcelona club was barely above the relegation zone. After dropping its first five games, Cádiz has gone undefeated in three.
