Barcelona’s Late Heroics Spark a Wild Win Over Celta Vigo
If you thought Barcelona’s season couldn’t get any more dramatic, think again. On April 19, 2025, Barcelona pulled off an escape act at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, overturning a 3-1 deficit to edge out Celta Vigo 4-3. The game was a heart-stopper, capped by Raphinha’s nerveless 97th-minute penalty that had fans—both in the stands and on sofas—on the edge of their seats.
Everything looked set for Celta Vigo to spring a huge upset. Borja Iglesias was on fire, opening the scoring in the first half with a sharp finish and then restoring Celta’s lead after Ferran Torres had leveled. Torres’s equalizer wasn’t anything routine, either. He weaved through defenders like they were cones on the training ground and made no mistake against the Celta keeper. But that was just the start of the fireworks.
Iglesias wasn’t done. He capitalized on a shaky Barcelona defense—who looked uncharacteristically nervous—and bagged his third of the night just after the break. Suddenly, Barça’s home crowd wasn’t singing quite as loudly, and Celta were dreaming of a rare win that could flip the LaLiga storyline.
Fighting Back: Olmo, Yamal, and Raphinha Change the Script
Few teams stage comebacks better than Barcelona, though. The spark? Dani Olmo. When a shot was parried back into play, Olmo pounced, hammering in a goal in the 62nd minute. The mood shifted instantly. Within three minutes, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal broke loose on the wing. His cross floated perfectly to the back post, where Raphinha powered home a header, firing up the stadium and swinging the momentum.
The minutes ticked by with chances on both ends. Celta, sensing the pressure, dropped deeper in search of a valuable point. The clock hit the 90-minute mark, and fans had almost accepted a draw—until Barcelona saw an opening deep into stoppage time. A scramble in the box led to Olmo being clipped inside the area. Referee pointed to the spot. High stakes, high nerves—Raphinha stepped up and made no mistake, smashing in the winner just before the final whistle.
If you needed any proof that emotions run high in football, Hansi Flick’s reaction sealed it. The Barcelona boss sprinted across the pitch at full-time, giving Raphinha a bear hug. It was a pure release after a game loaded with tension and swings in fortune.
There was a shadow on the night for Barça, though: Robert Lewandowski limped off early with a hamstring issue. The sight of their star striker walking gingerly down the tunnel will have fans anxious, especially as Barcelona look to close out the season as LaLiga leaders. For now, though, they have seven points separating them from Real Madrid, who still have to face Athletic Bilbao.
- Barcelona’s comeback highlighted their resilience—and perhaps some defensive frailties they’ll want to fix.
- Raphinha’s double, especially the stoppage-time penalty, will go down as one of the season’s defining moments.
- Borja Iglesias’s hat-trick gave Celta hope, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to spoil Barça’s home party.
With every week, the pressure of the LaLiga title race ratchets up a notch. But after surviving this wild night, Barcelona have shown they still know how to seize the big moments.
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