Celta Vigo 4-3 Barca: A nightmare for the champions

While needing a win to reclaim the top spot, Barca fell behind by three goals in the first half and ultimately lost in La Liga's seventh round.

Neymar couldn't do much to help Barca, while Celta Vigo played brilliantly. Photo: Reuters

Goals: Sisto 22', Aspas 31', Mathieu own goal 33', Hernandez 77' - Pique 58', 87', Neymar 64'

Ranked in the lower half of the table before the match, Celta Vigo caused a major surprise for Barca by taking a three-goal lead within just 33 minutes. Barca pulled two goals back early in the second half but couldn't avoid defeat at Balaidos. In the 77th minute, Pablo Hernandez scored the most crucial goal for the home team, effectively turning Pique's subsequent accurate header into a consolation goal.

Had they won their late match of round seven, Barca could have reclaimed the top spot in La Liga. Instead, their defeat pushed Luis Enrique's team down to fourth place with 13 points. Atletico currently leads with 15 points, level with Real but with a better goal difference. Sevilla is in third place with 14 points.

From an individual perspective, the greatest responsibility for Barca's defeat lies with goalkeeper Ter Stegen. His misplaced passes were directly responsible for two of the four goals conceded. In the 22nd minute, his careless low pass from the penalty area to midfield allowed Celta Vigo to intercept and immediately score the opening goal with a diagonal shot from Sisto. In the 77th minute, when Barca were aggressively attacking to equalize, Ter Stegen poured cold water on his teammates with a sloppy lofted pass inside the penalty area, allowing Pablo Hernandez to easily head the ball in to make it 4-2.

Had it not been for the individual mistakes of the number 1 goalkeeper, Barca could even have won. In the first 20 minutes, the reigning champions had a very positive start with at least two scoring opportunities. Luis Suarez nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a left-footed shot from 12 meters, after a good combination with Arda Turan. Shortly after, Sergi Roberto had a long-range shot that went wide of the Celta Vigo goal.

Goalkeeper Ter Stegen has brought more joy to opponents than he has protected Barcelona's goal. Photo: Reuters

After conceding the first goal, stemming from a mistake by Ter Stegen, Barca played like a car speeding downhill. In the 31st minute, Celta Vigo executed a perfect counter-attack from one half to the other with just a lofted pass, culminating in a precise diagonal shot from Iago Aspas. Two minutes later, Barca's net was shaken again when Mathieu scored an own goal while trying to block a cross from Daniel Wass. On the sidelines, coach Enrique and the substitutes were all stunned into silence.

With Messi unavailable, Andres Iniesta, if brought on earlier, could have helped Barca attack more effectively in the first half. His presence at the start of the second half quickly created a dominant position for the visitors. In the 58th minute, Iniesta delivered a perfect cross for Pique to head home, reducing the deficit to 1-2. Barca's momentum continued until the 64th minute, when Neymar scored the second goal from a penalty after Andre Gomes fell inside Celta Vigo's penalty area.

For most Barca fans, coach Enrique's decision to sell goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to Man City in the summer transfer window was a mistake. And the match against Celta Vigo only reinforced that. After making a mistake that led to the first goal, Ter Stegen made another error, rendering the attacking efforts futile. In the 77th minute, the goalkeeper passed the ball high, more like a cross, allowing Pablo Hernandez to easily head it in. The ball then hit the post and went into the net, giving Celta Vigo their most important goal.

Pique (right) scored a brace for Barca but they couldn't avoid defeat.

Late attacking efforts only resulted in one more goal for Barca. This time, Pique shone again, heading in a precise cross from Denis Suarez. After this equalizer in the 87th minute, Barca even came close to leveling the score. Neymar had a close-range header that narrowly missed the post, and Pique missed a chance to complete a hat-trick of headers.

According to VNE