FC Barcelona pulled off a thrilling 4-3 comeback against Celta Vigo at home, with Raphinha converting a 98th-minute penalty to secure all three points. The victory put Barcelona seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, maintaining their strong title push.
Celta Vigo’s Borja Iglesias was the standout performer, scoring a sensational hat-trick that seemed to put Barcelona’s title hopes in jeopardy. His brilliant display threatened to derail Barca’s momentum, but the hosts rallied in dramatic fashion. After trailing 3-1, two quick goals in four minutes and Raphinha’s coolly taken penalty in stoppage time turned the game in Barcelona’s favor.
It was a match that highlighted Barcelona’s fatigue, as the team had expressed frustration with the scheduling of kick-off times, leaving them with limited recovery between matches. They took an early lead when Ferran Torres found the back of the net, but struggled to maintain their intensity through the first half. A mistake from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny allowed Iglesias to equalize, and Celta Vigo gained the upper hand, with Szczesny making several crucial saves to keep the game alive for Barcelona.
Iglesias gave Celta the lead in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on poor defending, and made it 3-1 just moments after Barca made substitutions, bringing on Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo. Iglesias completed his hat-trick with a calm finish after latching onto a long ball, leaving Barcelona with a mountain to climb.
However, the resilient Barcelona side responded quickly, with Olmo pulling one back and Raphinha leveling the score just minutes later with a header. As the match entered injury time, a VAR review awarded Barcelona a penalty after a foul on Olmo in the Celta area. Raphinha stepped up and converted with composure, securing a vital 4-3 victory for Barcelona.
Earlier in the day, Valencia managed a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano, with Barcelona’s La Liga rivals struggling to maintain consistency. Meanwhile, Espanyol secured a 1-0 win over Getafe, thanks to a first-half goal from Marash Kumbulla.