Match ends, Celta de Vigo 0, Barcelona 1.
Celta Vigo 0-1 Barcelona
- From the section European Football
Barcelona restored their four-point lead at the top of La Liga with a tense victory over Celta Vigo, who ended with 10 men in bizarre circumstances.
It took 73 minutes for the breakthrough - Jeremy Mathieu scoring the only goal with a back-post diving header from Xavi's free-kick.
Celta had Fabian Orellana sent off for throwing some grass at Sergio Busquets as he was getting ready to take a free-kick.
Lionel Messi chipped over late on.
Despite the significance of the result, the game might be better remembered for Orellana's dismissal with two minutes left.
The Chilean, frustrated with how long Busquets was spending to take his free-kick, picked a lump of grass off the ground and threw it in the face of the Spain international, who held his face and started to go down.
Real Madrid had closed the gap with a 9-1 demolition of Granada in the early kick-off, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring five goals for the first time in his career.
But Barcelona faced a much more well-organised side in mid-table Celta Vigo, with Barca boss Luis Enrique returning to the club for the first time since leaving them last summer.
Celta created plenty of chances, with Joaquin Larrivey blazing over a simple chance from eight yards.
Neymar had a goal marginally ruled out for offside early in the second half and substitute Xavi fired a shot wide before setting up Mathieu for the decisive moment.
It was a second consecutive La Liga goal for the French defender, following his opener in the 2-1 win over Real Madrid, after he had failed to score in his first 19 league games since his summer move from Valencia.
Celta put late pressure on Barcelona after Orellana's farcical red card but they were unable to find a way through.
Line-ups
Celta Vigo
- 1Álvarez Conde
- 2Mallo Novegil
- 22Cabral
- 3Fontás
- 19Castro Otto
- 5HernándezSubstituted forMina Lorenzoat 83'minutes
- 24Fernández
- 23Krohn-DehliBooked at 24minsSubstituted forRadojaat 67'minutes
- 14OrellanaBooked at 87mins
- 11LarriveySubstituted forDias de Oliveiraat 71'minutes
- 10NolitoBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 6Radoja
- 7Mina Lorenzo
- 8López
- 9Dias de Oliveira
- 13Blanco
- 18Bongonda
- 20Gómez Sola
Barcelona
- 13Bravo
- 22Alves da Silva
- 3Piqué
- 24Mathieu
- 21Correia
- 12RafinhaSubstituted forHernándezat 58'minutes
- 5BusquetsBooked at 88mins
- 8IniestaSubstituted forPedroat 75'minutes
- 10Messi
- 9SuárezBooked at 45minsSubstituted forRakiticat 87'minutes
- 11Neymar
Substitutes
- 1ter Stegen
- 2Montoya
- 4Rakitic
- 6Hernández
- 7Pedro
- 15Bartra
- 20Roberto Carnicer
- Referee:
- Iñaki Vicandi Garrido
- Attendance:
- 23,731
Match Stats
Home TeamCelta VigoAway TeamBarcelona
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home26
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Celta de Vigo 0, Barcelona 1.
Booking
Nolito (Celta de Vigo) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Celta de Vigo. Conceded by Gerard Piqué.
Foul by Dani Alves (Barcelona).
Nolito (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ivan Rakitic.
Pedro (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nemanja Radoja (Celta de Vigo).
Booking
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
Dismissal
Fabián Orellana (Celta de Vigo) is shown the red card for fighting.
Dani Alves (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Fabián Orellana (Celta de Vigo).
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Ivan Rakitic replaces Luis Suárez.
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fabián Orellana (Celta de Vigo).
Substitution
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Santi Mina replaces Pablo Hernández.
Hand ball by Nemanja Radoja (Celta de Vigo).
Attempt missed. Augusto Fernández (Celta de Vigo) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Nemanja Radoja.
Foul by Lionel Messi (Barcelona).
Pablo Hernández (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Barcelona. Lionel Messi tries a through ball, but Neymar is caught offside.
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pablo Hernández (Celta de Vigo).
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Augusto Fernández (Celta de Vigo).
Attempt missed. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Luis Suárez.
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gustavo Cabral (Celta de Vigo).
Substitution
Substitution, Barcelona. Pedro replaces Andrés Iniesta.
Goal!
Goal! Celta de Vigo 0, Barcelona 1. Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona) header from the right side of the six yard box to the top right corner. Assisted by Xavi with a cross following a set piece situation.
Hand ball by Gustavo Cabral (Celta de Vigo).
Attempt missed. Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Charles.
Substitution
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Charles replaces Joaquín Larrivey.
Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Fabián Orellana (Celta de Vigo).
Neymar (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo).
Attempt missed. Xavi (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Neymar.
Substitution
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Nemanja Radoja replaces Michael Krohn-Dehli.