Three points in the bag. But the night at Camp Nou will be remembered less for the result, and far more for what happened in the chaotic and upsetting final minutes of the first half.
What Happened
Celta came to Barcelona and weren't afraid to play their game. They were arguably the better side in the first half. Barca’s lines were too far apart, their shape was all over the place, and Celta pounced.
They were the side with more shots on target in the first 45 and held possession more than we had expected. This is not what you expect from a team who’d lost four of their last five matches going into the game.
Lamine Yamal slotted away a penalty to give Barcelona the lead. He made no mistake of the spot-kick but tweaked something as he struck the ball and went down almost immediately.
He didn’t look to be badly hurt as he walked down the tunnel. But this is Lamine Yamal, and with the final weeks to go in the season, with the title still in the balance, any injury right now is bad news.
He wasn’t the first planned substitution of the game. Joao Cancelo was already withdrawn through injury in the first half, meaning Barcelona made two unforced substitutions before the half-time whistle.
Things went downhill further when a medical emergency occurred in the stands, causing a very long delay at the end of the first. It was genuinely distressing, and made it clear that sport takes a back seat to what is far more important.
The bigger picture
Three points needed, three points taken. Barcelona keeps the pressure up on the title charge.
But the depth in Flick's squad right now is frighteningly thin. Raphinha is injured and out. Now Yamal and Cancelo have both joined the injury list that is growing by the second.
Barcelona's fixtures don't get any easier, and without Raphinha and Yamal, Barcelona lose both of their most potent attacking threats. How Flick sets up, and how long the duo are absent for, will likely define Barcelona's season.
Player Ratings
Joan Garcia - 8.1. Made two strong saves in the first half where Barca were poor.
Jules Kounde – 7.0. Defensive efforts were solid, though couldn't do much about the team's shape.
Pau Cubarsi - 7.6. Composed and calm as ever. Dealt with Celta's advances reasonably well.
Gerard Martin – 7.8. Had to work hard as Celta exploited space on his side.
Joao Cancelo - N/A. Went off injured early and can't be fairly rated.
Pedri - 7.5. Tried his best to dictate play but the Celta press was effective in limiting his influence.
Eric Garcia - 6.9. Decent performance, not spectacular but reliable.
Lamine Yamal - 8.1. Took his penalty well and was Barca's only threat before injury, which affects a fair rating considerably.
Dani Olmo - 6.6. Showed flashes but the disjointed team shape limited his impact.
Gavi - 6.6. Worked tirelessly as usual but was unable to make much progress with the team.
Ferran Torres - 6.5. Worked hard, pressed effectively, and kept the team together in a challenging first half. Got his goal disallowed by VAR
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