Xavi, despite having recently announced his departure as Barcelona coach at the end of the season, faced increased pressure. However, Robert Lewandowski came to the rescue, converting a stoppage-time penalty after an initial miss to secure a 2-1 victory against Celta Vigo. This crucial win relieved some tension for Barcelona as they look ahead to the Champions League playoff.
Lewandowski’s first penalty attempt was saved by Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, but a video review revealed that Guaita had moved off the goal-line prematurely. Given a second chance, Lewandowski calmly rolled the ball into the corner in the seventh minute of stoppage time, sealing the win for Barcelona. The victory followed a home draw against Granada in the previous round, during which the team faced criticism from its fans.
Reflecting on the match, Lewandowski acknowledged the goalkeeper’s infraction, saying, “I don’t know what happened in the first penalty, but the goalkeeper was off the line too fast, and I had the chance to score as usual in the second penalty. It was very important for us to get these three points, and now we can start focusing on the Champions League.”
Barcelona’s next challenge is a visit to Napoli on Wednesday for the first leg of the round of 16. The team, a five-time European champion, is back in the Champions League knockout rounds after two consecutive eliminations in the group stage.
Despite the agonizing nature of the win, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández deemed it well-deserved. Xavi, who announced his departure as coach, has been under pressure, but the team has performed well, winning 10 of 12 points since the announcement.
In La Liga, Barcelona is seven points behind leaders Real Madrid, who can extend their lead on Sunday against Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona is also two points behind second-placed Girona, with their next match against Athletic Bilbao on Monday. The team has a three-point advantage over fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, which secured a dominant 5-0 victory against Las Palmas.
Lewandowski played a pivotal role in putting Barcelona ahead with his third goal in three matches. He skillfully controlled a pass from Lamine Yamal before sending a cross shot into the far corner. Celta managed to equalize early in the second half through Iago Aspas’ low shot, which deflected off Barcelona defender Jules Koundé.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid ended a three-game winless streak with a convincing victory over Las Palmas, ahead of their Champions League playoff against Inter Milan. Marcos Llorente and Ángel Correa each scored twice, and Memphis Depay added another at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Atletico, despite rotating the squad in preparation for the crucial match against Inter Milan, secured a comfortable win. Forward Antoine Griezmann started on the bench, and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul was rested, while striker Álvaro Morata was sidelined due to injury.
Correa expressed satisfaction with the team’s effort, stating, “We are happy with the effort by the team. Everything worked out well for us.”
Las Palmas, despite winning three of its last five league matches, remained in eighth place and still in contention for a European place.
In other matches on Saturday, Osasuna, in 11th place, defeated 18th-placed Cadiz 2-0 at home, with Ante Budimir scoring two second-half goals. Cadiz’s winless streak extended to 23 matches in all competitions.
Sevilla and Valencia played to a 0-0 draw in Valencia. Sevilla, on a two-match winning streak, moved to 14th place, while Valencia maintained its eighth position in the league standings.