Barcelona won 4-2 Celta Vigo: Lewandowski hat-trick

A high-post strike in the 73rd minute capped off a perfect night for Robert Lewandowski: his header not only sealed a 4-2 win over Celta Vigo but also completed his first La Liga hat-trick of the season. Barcelona left the field with three points, closing the gap on Real Madrid to three and extending their winning streak in the league to five.

Development: VAR opens the knot, Celta responds immediately

Barcelona attacked proactively from the start and were soon intervened by VAR. In the 8th minute, Celta defender Alonso handled the ball in the penalty area. Lewandowski calmly took the penalty, opening the score 1-0.

Just a minute later, the score was level again. Borja Iglesias played a delicate pass for Sergio Carreira to run past Pau Cubarsi and finish past Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-1.

In the 37th minute, Marcus Rashford – who was in impressive assist form – crossed the ball precisely for Lewandowski to finish through the legs of goalkeeper Ionut Radu, putting Barca up 2-1. But Celta remained stubborn: in the 43rd minute, Ferrán Jutglà broke down the right wing and crossed for Iglesias to shoot diagonally, 2-2.

It seemed like the first half ended in a draw, but Lamine Yamal exploded in the 45+4 minute. The 18-year-old striker's decisive shot from a tight angle left Radu with no time to react, helping Barca lead 3-2 before the break.

Tactics: control – dead ball – right wing

In the second half, Celta actively retreated, slowed down and gave up control. Hansi Flick asked his students to keep the ball firmly and wait for opportunities from set pieces. The right drill with Yamal constantly stretched the home team's 3-4-3 structure, while Rashford from the left provided leverage with early balls and set pieces.

In the 73rd minute, Barca put that instruction into action: Rashford's corner was right on target, Lewandowski positioned himself at the near post and headed into the far corner - a perfect example of a dead ball setup, and completed his individual hat-trick.

Celta sent in Iago Aspas in a late-game effort to fight back, but Barca's defense held firm. In the 88th minute, Yamal hit the post, almost doubling the score. In the 90+4 minute, Frenkie de Jong received a second yellow card for stamping on Aspas, ruling him out of the upcoming match against Athletic Club; the card did not change the outcome.

Selected statistics

• Lewandowski: hat-trick (penalty 8th minute; goal 37th minute; header 73rd minute).
• Marcus Rashford: 2 assists (minute 37 and corner kick minute 73).
• Lamine Yamal: 1 goal in the 45+4 minute; 1 shot hit the post in the 88th minute.
• Celta equalized twice before Barca decided the game from a set piece.
• De Jong: red card (2 yellow cards) minute 90+4.

Impact on La Liga race

With a 4-2 win at Celta, Barcelona moved up to second in the table and are now just three points behind Real Madrid. This was the Catalans’ fifth consecutive win in La Liga, with the attack – especially Lewandowski, Rashford and Yamal – making a strong impression, strengthening their pursuit.

Starting lineup

The decisive moment

The dead ball in the 73rd minute – Rashford corner, Lewandowski’s clever positioning – was the tactical turning point, taking the game away from a stalemate as Celta sat deep. On a night when Barca had to find a solution against a deep block, precision in the small details made a big difference.