Celta Vigo hold Barcelona in late drama to 2-2 draw

VIGO, Spain: Barcelona appeared on course for victory after establishing a two-goal advantage, courtesy of captain Raphinha's strike in the 15th minute and Robert Lewandowski's goal in the 61st.

However, the dynamic shifted when Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado was dismissed in the 82nd minute after receiving a second yellow card for a foul.

With Barcelona reduced to 10 players, Celta took advantage, applying relentless pressure and scoring twice within two minutes. Substitute Alfonso González found the net in the 84th minute, followed by Hugo Álvarez's equaliser in the 86th.

Barcelona remain at the top of the LaLiga table with 34 points, five ahead of second-placed Atlético Madrid and seven ahead of Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.

Midfielder Gavi, making his first start since suffering an ACL injury over a year ago, acknowledged the impact of the red card. "We had the game under control, but the sending-off really changed things," he said. "Celta capitalised on specific moments, and losing focus led to this outcome. We cannot afford to have players sent off because it makes everything more difficult."

Gavi also criticised the team’s defensive errors, particularly highlighting Jules Koundé’s misjudgement on the edge of Barcelona’s box, which allowed González to steal possession and score Celta’s opener past goalkeeper Iñaki Peña.

Barcelona's goals came from defensive errors by Celta. In the 15th minute, Óscar Mingueza misjudged a header while attempting to clear a long ball from Koundé, enabling Raphinha to strike the opener. Later, in the 61st minute, a lapse by Mingueza allowed Raphinha to set up Lewandowski for Barcelona’s second goal.

Celta’s equaliser followed a pivotal moment in the first half when Gerard Martin, already on a yellow card, escaped a second booking for a tackle on Celta captain Iago Aspas. The decision provoked heated protests from Aspas, who received a yellow card for dissent.

Casado’s two yellow cards in quick succession proved decisive, leaving Barcelona vulnerable. Álvarez, aged 21, capitalised on the numerical advantage with a close-range finish to earn Celta a valuable point.

This result means Barcelona have failed to win their last two matches, following a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad before the international break.