Celta Vigo - Barcelona summary: score, goals, highlights, LaLiga EA Sports

What next for Barcelona?

Barcelona's next match is the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie away to Napoli, which will take place on Wednesday (21 February). You'll be able to follow that game here on AS USA. 

Celta, meanwhile, have a huge game away to relegation rivals Cádiz next weekend. Lose that, and they really will be in trouble. 

Barcelona go to within seven points of Real Madrid

Barcelona have closed the gap to LaLiga leaders Real Madrid to seven points, although they will surely have no chance of winning the title if they keep playing the way they are. 

Celta, meanwhile, remain three points clear of the relegation zone after Cádiz also lost to Osasuna. 

Another Barcelona late show

Spanish stats guru Mister Chip strikes again. Barcelona have now scored five goals in injury time, a LaLiga high (along with Las Palmas). Celta, meanwhile, have now conceded three injury-time goals, also a league high. 

Barcelona grind out three important points

It wasn't pretty, I'm not going to lie. Few positives for Xavi to take from that game, but Robert Lewandowski did what Robert Lewandowski does. Two more goals for the Pole. 

Full time: Celta Vigo 1-2 Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski's re-taken penalty wins it for a disappointing Barcelona in the 97th minute!

What a waste from Tapía. The free.kick falls to him outside the box and he blazes an impossible volley over. 

Martínez sees yellow for a late challenge. Free kick to Celta coming up...

Barcelona change

Yamal goes off, Romeu comes on as Barça waste a bit more time. 

A Lamine Yamal special as he comes inside from the right and curls over the bar with his left. 

There'll be more time coming, though, I'm sure...

It's not been pretty, I can't emphasise that enough, but Barça are going to win it!

Guita had his back foot marginally off his line. It's a fair call. Can he save a second one?

Penalty to be retaken...

Oh my...

PENALTY SAVED!

Straight at Guita!

Not sure what ter Stegen was doing up there. 

Ter Stegen and De Jong have both been booked for arguing with Tapía, who kicked the ball off he spot. 

Lewandowski to take...

Beltrán is so unlucky...he tries to volley the ball clear, not knowing Yamal is on his blindside. The Celta man ends up kicking the Barça winger, and there's not much doubt. 

Penalty to Barcelona!

Yamal is kicked in the box, and the ref points to the spot! Late drama!

De la Torre denied by ter Stegen!

Koundé completely mis-kicks and allows de la Torre to break into the box, but his shot from a tight angle is tame and ter Stegen throws his cap on it. 

Six minutes of added time to be played. 

Barcelona have really struggled to find Lewandowski in the box, the goal aside. Another cross come in from the left, but it's cleared once again with the Pole on his heels. 

For once, Yamal tries to go round the outside but runs the ball out of play (and getting a little nudge). 

De la Torre whips a decent ball into the Barça box from the left but Martínez awkwardly hooks it away. Danger over. 

Iñigo Martínez not impressed with how long it took Larsen to go off...

Another two Celta changes

Mingueza and Larsen are replaced, Vázquez and Douvikas take their places. 

Sánchez wins a corner for Celta and Starfelt's header from Aspas' delivery bounces well wide. 

Barcelona have just lofted a series of high balls forward in the last few minutes...which doesn't feel very Barcelona-like.

Barcelona nearly get in!

Cancelo plays a sweeping pass over the Celta defence for López, but Nuñez just manages to get a head on it in the nick of time!

Is there going to be a winner? If there is, I couldn't tell who's more likely to get it. Maybe Celta, but only just...

Celta's third change

Swedberg comes on for Allende. 

He's only just on but López looks to be catching whatever his teammates have, spraying the ball straight out play. 

Pedri repalced by Fermín

It's not been one of Pedri's better game, it has to be said. Fermín López replaces him.

Raphinha goes down in the box...

Sánchez clattered into the Brazilian. Nothing given so far...

Aspas shoots wide!

From an almost identical position, Aspas lines one up on his weaker right foot but it flies well wide!

Close for Celta!

A loose ball breaks to Aspas in the box and he tries to steer a pass to the back post for Allende, who is denied by a last-ditch Cancelo challenge!

Barça go straight up the other end and Nuñez makes an almost identical interception to stop Lewandowski from prodding home Raphinha's low cross!

Great chance for Celta!

Aspas picks out a brilliant pass for Sánchez, who tries to get the ball back across goal for Allende, but Koundé makes a vital clearance!

Allende lines one up from range but drags it horribly, horribly wide. 

Guita tips over Raphinha free kick!

It was ambitious from Raphinha, but he made a good first of it! The Brazilian free-kick from range has to be tipped over by Guita, who wasn't in too much trouble. 

Iago Aspas hits 200 Celta goals

That strike from Iago Aspas (I think we can give it to him), was his 200th for Celta in two different spells. A club legend. 

Yamal shoots well wide

Yamal gets on the ball on the right, comes inside - as he tends to do - and tries to pick out the top corner. Well, well wide. 

Tapía very nearly picks out sub Sánchez in a dangerous position just outside the box but Koundé makes a vital interception.

Ristic looks to have picked up a knock for Celta. Sánchez replaces him.

Gündogan and Raphinha on for Barcelona

Christensen and Vitor Roque, who hasn't had a good time of it, are off. 

Here come those Barça changes. 

Yamal twists and turns away from Ristic and hoists up a cross to the back post, but Guita plucks it out of the early night sky. 

Gündogan and Raphinha are getting ready to come on for Barça, by the looks of it. 

A little break in play with Aspas and Koundé both down momentarily. It looks like they'll be OK to carry on. 

We looked to have settled back into the pattern of play we saw in the first half. Barça dominating the ball, Celta waiting to make a move. 

Celta really are having a hard time playing the ball out from the back. Guita plays a loose pass into midfield, Beltrán takes a fresh-air swipe at the ball and Barça are almost in, although the ball runs back through to the grateful Celta goalkeeper.

Celta are right up for this now, as you'd expect. 

Just what we needed after a somewhat sleep first half!

Second half underway!

Let's go! Can Celta get back into it?

Barcelona half-time change

Iñigo Martínez, who inexplicably wasn't ready, has also come on for Barcelona, replacing Araújo, who we can only assuming has picked up a knock. 

Celta half-time change

Nuñez is on for Domínguez for the hosts. 

LaLiga table as it stands

Barcelona were leapfrogged earlier by Atlético Madrid, who thrashed Las Palmas 5-0. A win for Xavi's side would move them back up into third and to within seven points of leaders Real Madrid. You just never know...

Little to choose between Celta and Barcelona

The stats, from our friends over at Sofascore, suggest there's not been much between the teams, other than in terms of possession. The old xG reckons Celta have been marginally more threatening, which should give them some hope for the second half. 

Celta Vigo 0-1 Barcelona: half-time thoughts

Not especially inspiring from Barcelona, but they are ahead thanks to Lewandowski’s strike just before half time.

It’s generally been slow and sluggish from the Catalans, who haven’t impressed Xavi going by his touchline behaviour. Neither team created a great deal in the opening period, although Barça did speed things up in the last five minutes of the half and were rewarded handsomely.

Lewandowski back on form

If you say so...

Robert Lewandowski scores his third goal in three games and Barcelona are ahead!

Half time: Celta Vigo 0-1 Barcelona

It's not been a classic but Barça won't care now that they are ahead! Lewandowski gives them the lead on the stroke of half time!

Ter Stegen saves from Mingueza!

Almost an immediate response from the hosts! Mingueza finds space just inside the box but he angled strike is easily kept out by ter Stegen!

Barça had been marginally better in the last few minutes and they've got their reward!

Aspas is back on, by the way, and looks to be running freely. 

Pedri injects a bit of pace into Barça's play in midfield and he manages to get the ball into Lewandowski on the edge of the box. The Pole, however, is crowded out before anything threatening can happen. Much better play through the middle, though. 

A little break in play as Aspas receives treatment. Both coaches are dishing out instructions. Rafa will be the happier of the two so far. 

A sore one for Aspas as Christensen kicks the back of his heels as he looked to break way. As yellow as yellow can be. 

Barça go from side to side and back again. No way through (especially at the pace they're playing). 

Said corner comes to nothing. 

Finally, a bit of urgency from Cancelo, who skips past Allende and fires a cross into the near post, which is headed behind for a corner by Starfelt. 

Celta holding their own

30 minutes in and Celta won't be too worried with what they've seen from Barcelona so far. 

Celta have fallen out of the game as an attacking force in the last few minutes. It's been Barcelona possession, but no cutting edge. 

De Jong has the chance to get Cancelo in behind but overhits his pass, with the ball running just out of play. Not great. 

Lip-readers will be having a field day whenever the cameras are on Xavi. He is really not amused with this. 

Barça seem to have taken Xavi's "speed it up" message as "slow it down"...

Celta are really not too clever at playing out from the back and Guita almost completely loses his bearings after receiving a backpass. Thankfully for him, there were no Barça players in the vicinity to take advantage of a loose touch.

Agitated Xavi

Xavi doesn't look especially happy down on the touchline, and I'm not that surprised. "Speed things up," seems to be the message he's trying to get across. 

A lovely Barcelona move!

That was much better! Lewandowski spreads a superb pass out right to Yamal, whose first-time pass into the box is brilliantly flicked on by Pedri, but Beltrán intercepts before Roque can get a shot away. 

A lovely piece of link-up from de la Torre and Ristic on the left ends with the latter stick a cross-cum-shot into the box, which flashes well wide. 

Celta race up the other end and Aspas again gets a low ball across from the right, which de Jong does just enough to clear. 

Roque wastes Barça attack!

Celta make a complete mess of playing out from the back and Barça are away. Lewandowski slides the ball through to Roque, who only needs to control and shoot. But the Brazilian takes an awful touch and his attempted cross is almost as bad. A big chance missed!

Pedri and Cancelo try to link up down the left, the ball drops deflects back to the midfielder, whose first-time cross takes a nick off a defender and flies into the arms of Guita. It could've gone anywhere, though. 

A bit of possession for Barcelona but they're going nowhere. Some loose passes not helping their cause. 

Jorgen Strand Larsen the Celta dangerman

The big Norwegian scored in the reverse fixture and has already proved to be a pest for the Barcelona defence. 

The yellowest yellow card you've ever seen. Pedri breaks away on the counter and Allende hacks him down. 

If I were Xavi, or of a Barça persuasion, I'd be worried about how often Celta are getting in, and how easily they are doing so. 

Crucial Araújo interception!

Larsen again gets in behind the Barcelona defence but doesn't have the pace to get away from Araújo, who blocks the ball out for a corner. 

A loose touch from Pedri (yes, really) surrenders possession to Aspas, who gets chopped down by the youngster. The ref keeps his card in his pocket, though. 

Ter Stegen's first save!

That was too easy for Celta to get in. Aspas has lots of room on the right and cuts the ball back, Allende dummies it and Larsen hits it low,forcing ter Stegen into his first stop!

Guita saves from Yamal!

I was just going to say Barcelona hadn't done much in attack, and they've had the first effort! Roque finds Lamal, who cuts in from the right and shoots. Guita beats it away, as he should've done. 

Brilliant footwork from Larsen gets Allende away down the Celta right...but he's well offside. Silky stuff though. 

Another decent opportunity for Celta to attack, they got plenty of bodies forward but Aspas makes an uncharacteristically bad pass infield and the chance has gone. 

Larsen makes a nuisance of himself in the Barça box and goes down under pressure from Christensen, although there's nothing doing, says the ref. 

A couple of moments of promise for Celta. First, Larsen is in loads of space in behind the Barcelona defence but doesn't get the pass from Aspas, then Ristic picks up possession on the edge of the box and shoots, only for his effort to be blocked!

The first attack comes from Barça, with Pedri feeding a nice pass through to Roque, who looks to make space in the box but ends up giving away a free kick.

Underway in Vigo!

Only a couple of minutes late...

Pedri ready to shine

Personally, I'd like to see Pedri do that many keep-ups with a diamond rather than a ball. Maybe one for social media during the week. 

Kickoff moments away!

"Sweet Caroline" has just been belted out at Balaídos, which I wasn't expecting...Now it's time for the Celta anthem, which I was. 

Barcelona team to play Celta: ter Stegen returns!

No Gavi, Torres, Félix, Alonso and Roberto, who are all injured. 

Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Cancelo; De Jong, Christensen, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Roque. 

Celta Vigo team to play Barcelona

Guita; Migueza, Starfelt, Domínguez; Allende, Tapia, Beltrán, Ristic; Aspas, Larsen, de la Torre.

A few minutes until kick-off! Let's have another look at how the teams will line up for today's game. 

Benítez looking to get Celta out of trouble

Celta Vigo are now managed by Rafa Benítez, who won two LaLiga titles with Valencia in the 2000s and led Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005. Remember his ill-fated spell at Real Madrid a few years ago? Luka Modric was never any good with the outside of his boot anyway...

BARCELONA

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández discusses replacements, being fired and Real Madrid’s possible Mbappé signing

Xavi on replacements, being fired and Real Madrid’s possible Mbappé signing

Speaking of Xavi press conferences, here's what he had to say to the media yesterday, He was asked about his possible replacements, being fired and Real Madrid’s possible Mbappé signing, all cheery topics if you are the head coach of Barcelona. 

He really didn't want to talk about Mbappé, by the way...

A little over 15 minutes until kickoff in Vigo!

Barça are out, so too is the sun, by the looks of things. Not that Xavi will be too pleased about that...(if you remember a previous press conference in which he complained about his players not being able to see properly because it was sunny...).  

Barcelona: last five games

- Barcelona 3-3 Granada (LaLiga)

- Alavés 1-3 Barcelona (LaLiga)

- Barcelona 1-0 Osasuna (LaLiga)

- Barcelona 3-5 Villarreal (LaLiga)

- Athletic Club 4-2 Barcelona (Copa del Rey)

Celta Vigo: last five games

- Getafe 3-2 Celta (LaLiga)

- Osasuna 0-3 Celta (LaLiga)

- Celta 0-1 Girona (LaLiga)

- Celta 1-2 Real Sociedad (Copa del Rey)

- Celta 0-1 Real Sociedad (LaLiga)

Barcelona to wear fourth kit in Vigo

A little glimpse into the Barcelona dressing room shows us they'll be wearing their 'Senyera' (which basically means 'flag' in Catalan) fourth kit, which they've actually worn quite a bit more than you'd expect considering they seemingly have three others ahead of it in the pecking order. 

Barcelona's slight improvement after Xavi announcement

Xavi announced he'd be leaving at the end of the season after the 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal on 27 January, a result which followed a 4-2 Copa del Rey exit to Athletic Club de Bilbao. In short, the Barça defence was leakier than a sieve throughout January. 

Since then, the Catalans have improved a bit by taking seven points from nine in the league, although they would've expected to defeat Granada last weekend rather than drawing 3-3.

Celta Vigo's form takes a turn for the worse

Celta Vigo started 2024 with three wins and a draw, although two of those victories came in the Copa del Rey. Since then, however, they have lost four of their last five matches, a run which has seen them slide perilously close to the relegation zone. 

Barcelona's looking lively at Balaídos

The Barça boys look to have a spring in their step as they arrive at Balaídos...or have their social media team sped this clip up a bit? Either way, they need to get a move in this LaLiga title race. 

FC BARCELONA

Barcelona pick De Zerbi to replace Xavi as manager

Barcelona want De Zerbi as Xavi replacement

You'll be well aware that Xavi will be stepping down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season, and the club have now set their sights on hiring Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi as his replacement. Here's Javier with the latest on who'll be next in the hotseat. 

Marc-André ter Stegen makes Barcelona return!

Marc-André ter Stegen hasn't played for Barcelona since a 2-1 win over Alavés on 12 November but he starts today! The Catalans conceded 16 goals in 14 LaLiga games with him in goal, and 17 in 10 league matches with Iñaki Peña between the sticks. The German's return from a back injury couldn't come quickly enough. 

Óscar Mingueza faces former club

Remember Óscar Mingueza, Barcelona fans? The defender played 66 first-team games for the Catalans before joining Celta in 2022. Pedri looks happy to see him before kickoff, although the two will go head to head out on the field. Mingueza will be out to prove a point, no doubt.

Barcelona's Vitor Roque drinking game

If you're at the stage of your life when you're looking for a fun drinking game to play, head over to the Barcelona Twitter/X account and take a sip/shot every time there is a Vitor Roque-tiger reference. Actually, maybe don't...

The Brazilian starts today. Two goals in five LaLiga appearances so far. 

Celta looking to pull away from third-bottom Cádiz

Show me how many points clear of third-bottom Cádiz you can go today!

Celta battling to avoid relegation

Things aren't not looking good for Celta, let's not beat around the bush. A poor recent run of form means they are just two points clear of the relegation zone, although they do have a game in hand (this one). 

Barcelona must win to keep slim title hopes alive

I'm maybe being a bit too optimistic, aren't I? Even if Barcelona win every game, they'll struggle to catch Real Madrid, such is their lead. But you never know. A win today moves them to within seven points. The leaders visit Rayo Vallecano tomorrow (also live on AS USA). 

Barcelona team to play Celta: ter Stegen starts

Ter Stegen does indeed start! So too does Vitor Roque, while it looks as if defender Andreas Christensen will be lining up in midfield again. 

Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Cancelo; De Jong, Christensen, Pedri; Yamal, Lewandowski, Roque. 

Celta Vigo team to play Barcelona: de la Torre starts

USMNT man Luca de la Torre starts for the hosts, who have talisman Iago Aspas back in the team after he was a sub in the defeat to Getafe last weekend. 

Guita; Migueza, Starfelt, Domínguez; Allende, Tapia, Beltrán, Ristic; Aspas, Larsen, de la Torre. 

Celta Vigo squad news

Celta don't have quite as many injury concerns, with centre-back Joseph Aidoo and right-back Javier Manquillo the only absentees. 

Barcelona squad news: Ter Stegen returns!

The news Barcelona fans, Xavi and everyone connected to the club have been waiting for (no offence, Iñaki Peña)! Goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen returns to the squad after a back injury and we can only presume he'll start. 

On the flip side, Ferran Torres, Gavi, João Félix, Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto all miss out through injury. 

When is kickoff between Celta Vigo and Barcelona?

We've not got too long to wait until things get going, as the clash in Vigo gets underway at 6:30 p.m. local time, which is 12:30 p.m. ET and 9:30 a.m. PT. LaLiga over breakfast, brunch or lunch, anyone?

Over the next hour or so I’ll be bringing you build-up, team news and plenty more. Let’s go!

Hello and welcome to Celta Vigo - Barcelona! 

Do Barcelona still have any chance of winning LaLiga? 10 points behind Real Madrid, five behind Girona with 14 games left to play…they’d better get their skates on and hope for the best! Thanks for joining me (Roddy) for AS USA’s live coverage of Celta Vigo against Barcelona at Balaídos.

Barça cannot afford to drop any more points, they’re dead if they do.