After the fantasy, the epic. After the defeats, the heroics. After the walks, the comeback. A movie comeback. In eight minutes, from 81 to 89, Barça lifted a game that had been sent to the table. A superb Celta won and convinced 0-2 against a confused Barcelona. But then, in the Montjuïc candy box, Lewandowski emerged to score with a foreshortened shot after a draftsman's service from João Félix. And there the fuse was lit, an impressive and hot crowd gathered, and the Pole holed out for the second time, now with assistance from Cancelo. In the midst of the madness, the Portuguese, who played in a thousand and one positions, entered the area with the dagger and nailed the third after a pass from Gavi.
The celebration on the pitch was vibrant, especially from Cancelo, who had played a chaotic game, and even more so in the stands. Barça did not play a good game but their final reaction allowed them to provisionally position themselves as leaders. Celta was better during almost the entire performance but Xavi's men showed guts not to give up, to get active. It cannot be said that the Terrassa coach did not look for solutions, who changed players and drawing in the second half. His team did not wake up until the last stretch but arrived on time with a winning style more common at the Bernabéu.
Because the match had nothing to do with the previous two. Neither in rhythm nor in precision nor in intensity. Barça promised them very happy after two consecutive wins, full of magic and good football against Betis and Royal Antwerp. Celta came with problems and with only one victory. But the light blue team, now led by Benítez, is a rival that usually chokes Barcelona. It's seeing the Barça shirts in front and the Celtiñas giving the best version of themselves. You just need to see the meeting they had in Montjuïc. Very dedicated in defense until almost the end, with a praetorian line of five, and vertiginous in the deployment, with a Bamba who took the left wing of Xavi's team head on, a Larsen accurate in the shot and the inevitable quality traits of Iago Aspas.
Barça went into the break trailing 0-1 and asking for time for the break because it could have been worse. He then avoided the second with a prodigious hand from Ter Stegen, who repelled Larsen's header. The Norwegian had already opened the scoring after not reaching the Koundé cut against De la Torre, which left him alone in front of the goalkeeper. But previously Aspas was close to surpassing Ter Stegen by drawing a Vaseline. The goalkeeper reacted well.
Because Celta was imposing its approach from start to finish against a dense, imprecise Barça with no overflow on the wings. Neither Ferran Torres nor João Félix on the left are pure wingers and Barcelona could not find the space to generate danger or to feed a very unassisted Lewandowski. The Blaugrana's best opportunity until the interval was a combination between Gündogan and João Félix, who sent his shot high. In fact, the only Barcelona shot between the sticks in this period was a tame header from Marcos Alonso.
Barça felt orphaned by the irruptions of Balde, the dribbling of Yamine Lamal and, to make matters worse, De Jong injured his ankle in a tackle on Bamba. The Dutchman was injured for almost 20 minutes until he was replaced by Gavi.
Xavi had determined three rotations with the entry of Marcos Alonso, Romeu and Ferran Torres but Benítez's formula was working much better.
It was up to the Barcelona team to completely reset. He could not continue down that path if he wanted to aspire to victory or at least not lose.
Xavi understood this and shook the board. He introduced the reappeared Araújo and Lamine Yamal and removed Romeu and Marcos Alonso. But above all he modified the system and decreed a 3-4-3. Of course, with singular decisions such as placing Cancelo in the double pivot with Gavi. This change in script did not affect Celta, who continued to finish almost all of their plays and create danger.
Meanwhile, Barça had a hard time interpreting their coach's instructions, they did not give Yamal any play and only activated with bursts of character, such as a long-range shot by Araújo. Balde also appeared in search of more percussion but the one who had the 1-1 in his boots was Ferran Torres. In one of his few details, Gündogan assisted him and the Valencian shot wide with everything in his favor.
The tie did not occur and what came was 0-2, the work of
Douvikas after combination with Aspas. There was nothing Ter Stegen could do, who had saved another shot shortly before, in that case from Bamba. The defeat seemed like it was already written, but no. Barça achieved what was already seen as impossible. These victories are what give leagues.
