Barcelona produced an astonishing late comeback to defeat Celta Vigo 4-3 on Saturday, strengthening their grip on the La Liga title race by moving seven points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
Despite falling 3-1 behind after a sensational hat-trick from Celta’s Borja Iglesias, the league leaders roared back in the final half-hour to secure all three points in dramatic fashion. Dani Olmo and Raphinha were instrumental in the turnaround, with the latter netting a 98th-minute penalty to seal victory.
Barcelona struck first after just 12 minutes when Ferran Torres took advantage of a static Celta defence, calmly drilling home from the edge of the area. But the visitors responded almost immediately, slicing through Barca’s high defensive line as Pablo Duran delivered a pinpoint cross for Iglesias to slot in the equaliser.
Celta, currently eighth and pushing for European qualification, continued to cause problems going forward. Their pressure paid off early in the second half when a misplaced pass by Frenkie de Jong allowed Iglesias to fire in his second goal. Minutes later, he completed his hat-trick, breaking away on the counter to finish clinically past Wojciech Szczesny.
Trailing by two goals, Barcelona needed a spark. It came through their substitutions, with Olmo and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal injected into the game. The impact was immediate—Raphinha slipped a clever pass through to Olmo, who coolly slotted home to reduce the deficit. Just four minutes later, Yamal delivered a perfect cross from the right, which Raphinha met with a powerful header to level the scores at 3-3.
The momentum had completely shifted, and in stoppage time, Barcelona were handed a golden opportunity to complete the comeback. Olmo was bundled over in the box by Yoel Lago, and Raphinha stepped up to lash the penalty into the top corner, sending the home crowd into wild celebrations.
The win came at a potential cost, with striker Robert Lewandowski forced off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. His availability for the upcoming Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semi-finals remains uncertain, pending further medical tests.
Head coach Hansi Flick, while delighted with the fighting spirit shown by his side, voiced concerns over the demanding schedule his players are enduring. He also chose to rest Yamal for the first time this year but was ultimately forced to bring the young forward on after Celta’s third goal.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Atletico Madrid’s slim title hopes suffered a major blow after a stoppage-time goal from Javi Munoz handed Las Palmas a 1-0 victory. The result leaves Diego Simeone’s men 10 points behind Barcelona and with little realistic chance of catching them.
Despite dominating large spells of the game, Atletico were frustrated by Las Palmas goalkeeper Dinko Horkas, who pulled off key saves to deny Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth. Munoz then struck in the 93rd minute, pouncing on a long ball to earn his side a crucial win in their fight against relegation.
The victory lifts Las Palmas to 17th place, two points above the drop zone, ahead of Alaves’ clash with Sevilla. For Atletico, the defeat is a significant blow and marks what may be the final chapter of their title challenge this season.
As Barcelona continue their charge towards the championship, all eyes now turn to Sunday’s fixtures and the highly anticipated Clasico in May, which could prove decisive in the race for La Liga glory.
