Celta Vigo 3-3 Barcelona summary: score, goals, highlights, LaLiga

Celta 3-3 Barcelona: match summary

If Xavi Hernández was watching on Saturday he will have been left in little doubt as to the magnitude of the task that awaits him when he takes over the reins at Barcelona on Monday. In Sergi Barjuan's final game as interim coach, Barça cruised into a 3-0 halftime lead against Celta at Balaídos only to collapse after the break as the home side swarmed all over their opponents to pull off a remarkable comeback. 

There were three reasons for Celta's remarkable reversal: a righteous sense of aggrievement going into the break over some of the officiating in the first half, Barça's loss of Ansu Fati, Nico - who had been the glue holding Barça's midfield together - and Eric García before the second half started and a certain complacency that Celta were only too happy to exploit. 

Goals from Ansu, Sergio Busquets and Memphis appeared to have settled the affair after 45 minutes but following the break Barça barely managed a foray in the direction of Dituro's goal while Celta, who came out like a side scorned, were an offside flag and a Nolito handball away from taking all three points.

Aspas, Nolito and Aspas again found the net, the latter in the 96th minute to send Balaídos into rapture and Barjuan's head into his hands. The Barça interim boss will return to the more sedate surroundings of the Estadi Johan Cruyff now while Xavi will have to make something of a side shorn of any self-belief and, at last count, 11 senior squad members.

The job was summed up by Frenkie de Jong after the game, the Dutchman diplomatically pretending he couldn't hear a question as to whether any manager can fix Barcelona inside the current season. "No, it's the players who have to do it," he replied.

And there's the whistle! What a game!

Abde Ezzalzouli booked for diving, Celta have one more charge left in them...

Denis does all the hard work and then threads a ball straight to Mingueza, who sends it into December...

Ter Stegen takes one for the team by not taking a goal kick very quickly.

Galán! He wasn't really expecting the ball to reach him on the far side and lashes a shot high! He had more time than he thought there.

De Jong goes into his own corner to try and stem the flow but Celta have a throw.

Five minutes added!

Néstor! He gets the occasional screamer and the Celta defender skips a challenge, drives forward and leathers a shot just wide!

Balde heads for the flag, Aidoo says no way pal and ushers him and the ball out. Final charge for Celta now...

Busquets in the book, Celta have a free from a fair way out...

De Jong! The Dutchman breaks from midfield and launches a missile at goal, which clips the crossbar. What a strike from the Netherlands international.

There have been 22 attempts in the game now, 14 of them from Celta.

Nerves at the back as well as Lenglet gifts possession back to the home side.

Barça have pretty much given up trying to press Celta in their half now, every time the home side get the ball they look to break rapidly and Barjuan's side drop back in numbers.

Barça back in numbers as Celta turn on the style around the area, Aspas eventually flashing a shot into the side netting.

Riqui Puig chances his arm from distance and that was Barça's first effort of the half. Celta have come out a different side and feel they can nick at least a point here.

A wonderful cross from Cervi and Nolito is there to meet it and nod past Ter Stegen to take the roof off Balaídos! The comeback is very much on and Barça are having a serious wobble.

Gooooooooooooool! Nolito!

Aspas manages to get clear of Lenglet but not without the Frenchman trying his best to halt the striker with a bit of shirt-pulling, which Aspas points out to the referee in no uncertain terms.

Celta very much in the ascendancy though and Barcelona are clinging on at the moment, albeit with a two-goal cushion.

Gooooooooo... nope, handball the ref says! Nolito controls and has the ball in the net but the winger did appear to use his arm there.

Franco Cervi on for Celta, Tapia makes way after a typically combative afternoon.

Decent penalty shout for the home side as Migueza floors Galhardo but the ref is having none of it.

That's 11 players injured for Barcelona in total now, three of them - Ansu, Nico and Eric García - this afternoon alone. The international break couldn't come at a better time for the Catalans.

And there's the change, Puig on for Barcelona.

Nico has pulled up now wih what looks like a muscle issue and Riqui Puig is called from the bench. It looks as though the midfielder will have to head off as well.

Celta have the wind in their sails now and are zipping the ball about but Memphis goes on a run that is finally halted in the area.

This one will count though as Ter Stegen parries a Suárez shot into the path of the striker, who stabs home from close range to get Celta back in the hunt!

Galhardo thinks he's pulled one back but the flag is up... it's a close call but the ref seems happy enough and there's no call for a VAR check.

Subs for both side: Araujo and Balde on for Barcelona, Kevin Vázquez and Fran Beltrán for Celta.

And there's the half! Barça in full control of the game in Balaídos but at a cost with Ansu now also facing a spell on the sidelines.

Ansu off definitively, looks like Barcelona will wait for the half to make a change.

Two minutes added,.

Oh dear... it looks as though Ansu has popped his hamstring chasing a ball over the top. He'll have to go off this time and that's bad news for the lad and for Barcelona. He's been one of very few rays of hope for the side this season.

Ansu appears to be ok to continue.

Ansu off for treatment. Let's hope it's nothing serious after all the injury problems he has had.

Concern for Barcelona now as Ansu is down clutching his wrist after a tangle with Hugo Mallo.

Solari tires of the sight of Ansu's heels and chops the Barça forward down, getting his name in the book as a reward.

It's a rout now as Barça pick Celta apart with a swift move from the halfway line and Memphis glances Jordi Alba's cross past Dituro.

Tapia! The ball lands at the feet of the Peru midfielder but his snap shot flies high.

Corner for Celta after good work on the right from Solari.

Aspas! It's a decent hit but whistles wide of the post from about 30 meters out.

García first into the book as he clatters into the back of Aspas and the Celta striker may fancy a pop here.

A flicker of hope for the home fans as Galhardo goes down in the area but the foul is given the other way. Not much luck going Celta's way this afternoon.

The home fans are not happy as Eric García appears to handle on the halfway line and nothing is given. The sun is playing merry havoc under high balls but that was pretty blatant.

The ref seems happy to let it go though, to vigorous disagreement from the Peruvian.

Hmmm, Nico could be in a spot of bother here as he elbows Tapia in the face.

Celta have a decent looking free kick and Aspas is over it but rather than shooting he tries to feed Tapia in the area and it doesn't come off for the home side.

He doesn't get many, the Barça midfielder, and he won't get many more like that either, picking his spot from the edge of the area and curling an effort inside the near post. What a strike!

A ball over the top of Barça's high defensive line puts Aspas in behind but the striker's first touch eludes him. 

Solari is pickpocketed by De Jong who sends Memphis scurrying down the flank and Barça have a corner as Aidoo sends the ball out.

Ansu is running amok on the Barça left and Celta may have to consider a reshuffle at this rate with Solari unable to do anything to stop him, leaving Mallo exposed.

Aspas gets his 10th minute ovation. What a player he has been for Celta over the years.

Celta are buzzing about the Barça back four having smelled blood from the earlier gaffe and win a corner on the left.

The Barça forward twists and turns on the edge of the area and hits a shot that isn't going anywhere dangerous until it clips Tapia and loops into the back of the net with Dituro rooted to the spot.

That has really been Celta's Achilles' heel this season. Any other campaign you'd have bet the farm on Aspas burying that but they're just not going in for Coudet's side at the moment.

Aspas! Goodness that looked as though it was in. The striker is released by Nolito and Barça's back line is caught napping but he flashes his shot inches wide of the post! What a let-off for the visitors.

We're off! Barcelona get the game underway in Balaídos.

The teams are coming out of the tunnel now and it's a cracking day in Vigo, perfect for a spot of football.

Celta have lost six of their last seven at home and Barcelona have failed to score in any of their last three on the road in LaLiga. It's going to be 0-0 or 4-3.

Warm-ups underway

Barcelona XI confirmed

Barjuan hands another start to Barça B midfielder Nico González and Frenkie de Jong returns to the side. Up front, Ansu Fati and Memphis will attempt to test the Celta back four.

Celta starting XI confirmed

Coudet has named his XI and it's a pretty attacking side with Nolito, Aspas, Galhardo and Denis Suárez all included.

Celta, much like Barça, have failed to match up to the sum of their parts this season after an eighth-placed finish last year but can still turn it on with little warning for the opposition. However, the hosts have only scored 10 in 11 Liga games this season and have been far from solid at the back. Barça's reputation is all that makes them slight favourites with the bookies today. This one really could either way.

Celta only have two players missing today, but both are key members of Eduardo Coudet's team: Braís Méndez and Santi Mina. The absence of the suspended Méndez means that Augusto Solari is in line to come into the midfield today. And yes, he is a relation. The 29-year-old, formerly of River Plate and Racing Club, is Jorge Solari's grandson and a cousin of former Real Madrid boss Santiago. 

A little added pressure on the basis of Barcelona's league position as well. If the visitors lose today they could, depending on results elsewhere, find themselves firmly in the bottom half to welcome Xavi on Monday morning.

Back to today though and Barjuan hardly has an ideal scenario going into the match at Balaídos. Not only are Celta so difficult to predict that when the Galicians take to the pitch pretty much anything can happen, but the Barça boss has a lengthy injury list including Sergio Agüero, Martin Braithwaite, Pedri, Gerard Piqué and Ousmane Dembélé.

BARCELONA

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Xavi faces uphill task at Barcelona

We also have the full details of how the deal was finally struck late on Friday night, courtesy of Will Gittins.

LALIGA

Celta vs Barcelona: times, TV and how to watch online

Celta looking to do double over Barça

Celta are unlikely to make things easy for Barça though and this isn't one of those cases of trawling back through the archives to find the last Celta victory over today's opponents. The Galicians beat Barça at Camp Nou last season in the penultimate matchday and last won at Balaídos in 2019.

For a more in-depth look at today's game and injuries, suspensions and so on, we've put together a little pre-match guide.

So far, Barjuan - a left back who played for Barça for nine seasons and earned 56 caps for Spain - has overseen a draw against Alavés and a win over Dynamo Kiev, so he has the chance to end his interim tenure unbeaten before returning to Barcelona B, where he took the reins as manager just last summer.  

LALIGA

Xavi Hernández confirmed as new Barcelona coach: latest news from Barça

Xavi return imminent

Today's game will be Sergi Barjuan's last match as interim coach of Barça, with Xavi Hernández set to return to Camp Nou on Monday to take over after the Barça board and Al Sadd came to an arrangement over the former midfielder's contract with the Qatar Stars League side.

Celta vs Barcelona: welcome

Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of the Liga match between Celta Vigo and Barcelona from Balaídos Stadium in Vigo. Kick-off today is at 16:15 CEST.