Barcelona pinched a thrilling 4-3 victory from Celta Vigo at Camp Nou with a spine-tingling winner deep in stoppage time.
After a seesaw battle in which the lead was exchanged three times, the decisive fourth goal came in the 97th minute to send the home crowd into raptures and preserve Barcelona’s La Liga title hopes.
This hard-fought win not only yields three crucial points but also demonstrates the never-say-die attitude that can be the difference in the tight title fight.
Here are Barcelona’s players’ ratings:
Wojciech Szczesny (8.5)
Made amazing saves in crucial moments, one of which was a point-blank stop in the dying minutes.
Organized his box perfectly, considering the defensive mess in front of him.
Jules Kounde (8)
Shut down Celta’s left side entirely while offering threatening overlapping runs.
His crucial tackles that took a certain goal away.
Pau Cubarsi (8)
Played like a seasoned pro with his impeccable positioning and build-up passing.
Won all of his aerial battles against Celta’s physical forwards.
Iñigo Martínez (8)
Defensive organiser who maintained Barcelona’s shape intact.
Made great clearances and coordinated the backline with vocal leadership throughout the match.
Gerard Martín (7.5)
Both defensively and offensively strong, delivering key crosses.
Showed good endurance in maintaining the work rate for 90+.
Frenkie de Jong (8.5)
Directed the turnaround with high passing accuracy and forward carries.
His ability to put through balls was world-class.
Pedri (9)
Brilliant all-action midfielder who dictated the pace.
He completed dribbles successfully in a performance to cherish and troubled Celta’s midfield.
Fermín López (7.5)
The dynamo midfielder with relentless pressing.
Assisted the opener and almost started with a 25-yard thunderbolt.
Raphinha (9)
The game-changer who rose to the occasion.
Scored the 97th-minute winner and haunted Celta’s defense all night long with his command of the ball.
Robert Lewandowski (6.5)
Fortunate not to have got on the scoresheet but played the false 9 role to perfection.
His intelligent flick set up great chances.
Ferran Torres (7.5)
Ferran was busy all game with intelligent movement and pass-and-move football.
Scored the first goal with a clinical first-time finish.
Impact Subs:
Lamine Yamal (8)
Altered the course of the game on entering the pitch, helping Raphinha’s goal with an enchanting dribble and cross.
Dani Olmo (7.5)
Provided instant sparkle and scored the second goal, which helped shift the momentum to Barcelona’s favour.
Eric García (7)
Good defensive cameo with crucial clearances to see the game out at the end.
Pau Victor (7)
Impressed right from the start by his presence, good supporting play for the equalizer.
Gavi (7.5)
Injected high energy during his cameo, dominating his duels and helping secure the victory.
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