Barcelona’s Polish forward #09 Robert Lewandowski celebrates with teammates scoring his team’s first goal during the Spanish league football match between RC Celta de Vigo and FC Barcelona at the Balaidos stadium in Vigo on February 17, 2024.
A hard-fought battle sees FC Barcelona emerge victorious against Celta Vigo. A marginal 2-1 victory was all that separated La Blaugrana from the home team of Balaidos. Ultimately, Barcelona take away three very important points from a dangerous stadium.
Two goals from Robert Lewandowski, both set up by Lamine Yamal indirectly and directly, were the ones that made the difference. A first-half wonderstrike, and a late penalty both ensured that the three points went to Barcelona.
Player Ratings:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 6.5
Had it not been for an unfortunate mistake by one of his defenders, the German goalkeeper could have left Balaidos with a clean sheet. Despite his solid outing in goal, the Barcelona captain will not have left content with the performance despite the victory.
Jules Kounde: 5.5
The Frenchman had a decent first half, but began to show signs of sluggishness near the end of it. His error ended up costing Barcelona a really unfortunate goal, and the second half that followed showcased Kounde being unaware and rather slow to react on many different occasions.
Ronald Araujo: 7.0
In terms of defensive displays, the Uruguayan defender was Barça’s best asset. Ronald Araujo ensured that Celta remained at bay for much of the first half, and his speed and power allowed him to act as the last man on a lot of occasions and still manage to stop the opposition.
Pau Cubarsi: 6.5
Still a strong outlet for Barcelona in defense, the youngster brings his best game to the team whenever the ball is at his feet. However, his judgment still needs work as he sometimes commits too soon or too early and ends up costing the team.
Joao Cancelo: 6.0
An unusually stale game from the Portuguese fullback, Joao Cancelo tried a lot of things that did not work out. Moreover, his creativity was barely anything special on a night when he could have helped Barcelona out much more.
Andreas Christensen: 6.0
The Danish defender continues to play as an emergency pivot for Xavi’s Barcelona. With his physique and solid defensive timing, he manages to win back a lot of balls for Barça. Unfortunately, his lack of speed does sometimes leave the team quite vulnerable.
Pedri: 6.5
Almost single-handedly created several great chances for the team in the first half. The Spaniard continues to amaze with his technique and vision, but is often let down by the players receiving his passes in dangerous areas.
Frenkie De Jong: 6.5
One of the more convincing performances from the Dutchman this season, he seems to be more in his element whenever he is allowed to progress forward. His aggressive tackles in the opposition’s half also gave Barcelona some incredible chances that they mostly blundered.
Lamine Yamal: 7.5
Much of the game-changing impact from Lamine Yamal came in the first half. His excellent pass to Robert Lewandowski became the assist for the first goal, and then his run resulted in Barcelona being awarded a penalty afterwards that decided the game.
Robert Lewandowski: 8.5
Arguably the best display from Robert Lewandowski this season, and that goes beyond just his goals. His passing, teamwork, understanding of where to be, and his finishing, were all undeniably at his best level against Celta. Not to mention he scored both the goals that gave Barcelona a much-needed victory.
Vitor Roque: 6.5
The Brazilian had many moments of great bravery and intentions. However, his execution was far from perfect in a lot of those moments and it costed Barcelona at times when they could have generated something very positive from them.
Substitutes:
Inigo Martinez: 6.5
Having come on for Ronald Araujo at halftime, Inigo Martinez was a solid addition in the defense. Beyond just his more than competent defensive display, however, his communication and leadership allowed the youngsters around him to keep their mental game up as well.
Ilkay Gundogan: 6.5
Provided some killer passes to his teammates and maintained his composure throughout his time on the field. His cool head and brilliant touches allowed Barcelona to circulate the ball quite effectively.
Raphinha: 5.5
Rather frustrating to watch this time, playing as a left-winger or coming into the central channels at times. Raphinha continues to struggle with his decision making and it is no surprise that Lamine Yamal, who despite his age continues to showcase better decision-making, remains ahead of him in the pecking order.
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