…Celta re-opens LaLiga in Camp Nou
Barcelona dropped points for the first time at home this season in LaLiga in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Celta on a chilly Saturday afternoon at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.
Iago Aspas gave the visitors a 20th minute lead, only for Lionel Messi to counter two minutes later. Barcelona then surged ahead through Luis Suarez in the 62nd minute, but the Galicians were not to be denied a result and equalised through Maxi Gomez in the 70th minute.
Like last week’s draw at Valencia, this was another thrilling affair, as Celta went toe-to-toe with Barcelona. Aspas, in particular, put forth a marvelous performance and was a constant thorn in the Barcelona’s defence’s side. Meanwhile, Barcelona were unsurprisingly led by Messi, who was buzzing around the Celta area the entire afternoon.
While a second straight draw will give Ernesto Valverde pause, the second-half hamstring injury to defensive stalwart Samuel Umtiti will be particularly worrisome to the Barcelona manager in the matches before the Christmas break.
Sergi Roberto made his first start in over a month due to injury and came in for Semedo at right-back. Otherwise, it was the same starting XI that lined up in a 4-4-2 in last week’s 1-1 draw at Mestalla against Valencia.
Outside of a sensational solo run from Messi early on, there was little from the Barcelona attack. Celta were set up well in defence and kept the hosts at bay. The Galicians were biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike, and right before the 20-minute mark they mounted a brilliant counter-attack that resulted in the game’s first goal.
Aspas was played onside by Gerard Pique and the Spanish national team forward was off to the races after collecting a pass on the right. Aspas crossed for the wide open Maxi Gomez, only to see Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen make a miraculous kick save, but the ball deflected right to Aspas, who fired in to hand Celta the 1-0 lead.
Barcelona answered quickly. Two minutes after the Aspas strike, Messi had the ball in the Celta net, finishing off a wonderfully worked team goal in which a Paulinho pass that
looked intended for Suarez rolled to Messi instead and the Argentine calmly fired in the 1-1 equaliser.
Barcelona were flying, with Messi in particular looking very inspired, and minutes later he could have called himself quite unlucky when he struck the post from the slimmest of angles. That was followed minutes later by a chance for Paulinho, however the Brazilian headed right to Celta goalkeeper Ruben.
The pace of play did not slow in the second half and again Paulinho spurned a chance to give his side the lead when he failed to convert into an open net from a tight angle after rounding Ruben.
Barcelona continued to apply the pressure, and the go-ahead goal came shortly after the hour mark using triangulation in its purest footballing form. Jordi Alba received a pass down the left flank, played a cut-back pass to Messi, who then returned it to Alba and the Barcelona left-back crossed for Suarez and it was an easy stroke into net for the Uruguayan for a 2-1 lead.
Messi then almost made it three minutes later with a header from point-blank range, but Ruben was ready and pulled off a sensational save to keep the deficit at one.
Barcelona would end up ruing the miss because Maxi Gomez would pull Celta level, 2-2, with 20 minutes to go. In a one-on-one with Aspas, Umtiti pulled up with his hamstring injury, allowing Aspas to break down the right flank, and his cut-back pass found the charging Maxi Gomez, who deposited the ball into the back of the net.
It was anyone’s match heading into the final quarter-hour, and Pique almost regained the lead for Barcelona after some good work from Messi, but the centre-back missed wide. Messi then came achingly close but headed wide a deflected shot from Denis Suarez.
Celta also had their shot through Sisto, but Ter Stegen kick-save denied the Danish winger. A Messi free-kick that missed the target in the waning seconds would prove to the final chance, as Barcelona will now turn their attention to Champions League play on Tuesday when they host Sporting Lisbon.
Match Sheet:
2.- Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Pique, Umtiti (Vermaelen, min. 70), Sergi Roberto; Busquets, Paulinho, Iniesta (Denis Suarez, min. 53), Rakitic (Alcacer, min. 79); Messi, Suarez
2.- Celta: Ruben; Hugo Mallo, Fontas, Sergi Gomez (Cabral, min. 5), Brais Mendez (Roncaglia, min. 68); Lobotka, Jozabed (Pablo Hernandez, min. 85), Wass, Sisto; Iago Aspas, Maxi Gomez.
Goals: 0-1, min. 20: Aspas; 1-1, min. 22: Messi; 2-1, min. 62: Suarez; 2-2, min. 70: Maxi Gomez
Referee: Melero Lopez (Andalusian). Yellow Cards: Suarez (Min. 1) for Barcelona, Roncaglia (Min. 74) for Celta, Jozabed (Min. 81) for Celta, Vermaelen (Min. 83) for Barcelona, Wass (Min. 87) for Celta. Sisto (Min. 88) for Celta, Hugo Mallo (Min. 95) for Celta
Red cards: None
Stadium: Camp Nou
Attendance: 75.000
