Barcelona pulled off a dramatic 4-3 victory over RC Celta de Vigo at home, with Raphinha netting a 98th-minute penalty to secure all three points in a breathtaking LaLiga encounter.
The result stretches Barça’s lead over Real Madrid to seven points, while ending Celta’s four-game unbeaten run on the road.
Despite past struggles against Celta — including a 2-2 draw earlier in the season — Hansi Flick’s men looked confident early on.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring with a composed finish into the far corner. But just minutes later, Borja Iglesias equalised for the visitors after capitalising on a defensive lapse.
Barcelona struggled to find rhythm before halftime, with wayward final passes and wasted chances from Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Meanwhile, Celta came close again, with Szczesny denying both Ilaix Moriba and Iker Losada.
The second half began with a twist. Frenkie de Jong misjudged a long ball from Yoel Lago, allowing Iglesias to break free and fire Celta ahead. The striker completed his hat-trick not long after, beating Szczesny again after another defensive lapse.
But Barcelona hit back quickly. Dani Olmo pulled one back after a slick assist from Raphinha, before the Brazilian leveled the game with a powerful header from Lamine Yamal’s cross.
With the game heading for a draw, late drama unfolded. Dani Olmo was brought down in the box deep into stoppage time, and after a VAR check, Raphinha stepped up and slotted the winning penalty past Vicente Guaita.
Despite scoring a hat-trick, Iglesias ended up on the losing side as Barcelona kept their title hopes alive.
With El Clasico looming in May, this thrilling win gives Barça crucial momentum. For Celta, the loss dents their push for European qualification, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2016/17.
