Pedri’s early goal proved decisive as Barcelona regained top spot in La Liga with a tense 1-0 win over Celta Vigo at Camp Nou.
Barcelona moved to the top of La Liga with a tight 1-0 win over Celta Vigo at Camp Nou. Xavi Hernandez’s side have now won seven league games in a row, raking in 22 points from their first eight games, having won seven and drawing one, putting them ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid on goal difference. The pair will square off in a crucial El Clasico at the Bernabeu next weekend.
After two largely underwhelming displays on the road after the international break, Barcelona started the game on the front foot, with fast, intense attacking football, finding spaces between the Celta lines. They forced goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin into three big saves early on.
Pedri broke the deadlock with a simple tap-in, thanks to a scuffed clearance from Unai Nunez. Meanwhile, the hosts were denied a penalty when Javi Galan brought down Raphinha in the box.
The second half was a stark contrast to the first, and the hosts were fortunate to come away with three points on the night, with Oscar and Iago Aspas missing golden chances, the latter clean through on Barcelona’s goal late on, but Ter Stegen made a match-winning stop with his foot.
FULL TIME! #BarçaCelta pic.twitter.com/hpYIY4OSSm
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 9, 2022
Celta though they had equalised through Jorgen Larsen, but Galan was offside at the start of the play, and VAR confirmed the decision. Barcelona were let off the hook that time as well. It was hardly an encouraging performance ahead of a vital Champions League clash, but three points nonetheless for Xavi’s men.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 8/10
The German goalkeeper did not have a lot to do in the first half but made a string of important saves at the back when called into action in the second half and secured a well-deserved clean sheet. Ter Stegen had actually been wasteful with his kicking a couple of times, but his stops were crucial to the hosts coming away with all three points.
Marc ter Stegen in @LaLiga this season:
8 games
7 clean sheets
1 goal conceded
720 minutes played
Last 624 no goals against pic.twitter.com/Kr84wjJYy9— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 10, 2022
Alejandro Balde: 6.5/10
Balde looked comfortable operating in a completely alien role as he was once again deployed on the right due to Barcelona’s injury problems. He put in a solid shift and brought dynamism with his running and combination play but was not involved in attacking play that much. Replaced late on by Sergi Roberto.
Gerard Pique: 7/10
Pique started the season well down the pecking order, but Barcelona’s injury situation has allowed him to return to the starting XI. His performance proved he still has a lot left in the tank, as he was brilliantly defensively, dominant in the air, and covered for the advanced Alonso very well. However, he was undone by Jorgen Larsen, although the resultant goal was fortunately called offside. It was a big let-off for the veteran.
Marcos Alonso: 6/10
Celta enjoyed most of their promising attacks down Alonso’s side, and targeted him in particular, as he did not look very comfortable. He was unable to keep track of wide players running behind him. He did make one big block on a goal-bound effort, though.
Jordi Alba: 8/10
Back in the starting XI, Jordi Alba looked back to his best and reminded everyone of his unique qualities. A shot creation machine, the left-back made marauding runs forward, offering width and creativity in the final third. He created three key passes, completed all of his 6 attempted long balls, and played some perfectly-weighted lay-offs. But he was responsible for some sloppy passing that put Barcelona under pressure after the break.
Gavi: 7.5/10
Gavi fared much better following two straight below-par performances by his high standards. An all-action performance from the teenager, he was buzzing all around the place, winning every loose balls, and even setting up Pedri’s opener, albeit with some support from the opposition players. He also created one chance for Ousmane Dembele, who blew the opportunity.
Sergio Busquets: 6.5/10
Busquets did his fair share of defending and had to dig deep in the second half as Celta pressed hard for the equaliser. He was accurate with his passing but looked shaky at times. Made a crucial block to keep Celta at bay in the second half.
Pedri: 8.5/10
Pedri was quite easily the best player on the pitch. He created the opener, set the tempo in midfield, and delivered a superb all-action display. Not only did he pass the ball with elegance and was at the heart of everything positive that Barcelona did against Celta, he was also effective at winning the ball back.
📊| Pedri in 63 Minutes vs Celta Vigo.
– Match Winning Goal.
– 38 Touches.
– 20/23 Passes.
– 3 Passes Into Final Third.
– 5/5 Dribbles.
– 2 Ball Recoveries.
– 7/8 Duels Won.
– Just Once Dispossessed.
– 0 Times Dribbled Past.
– 1 Foul Won. pic.twitter.com/eEb6DdB16k— Barça Buzz (@Barca_Buzz) October 10, 2022
Above all, and most importantly, he scored the winner with a perfectly-timed run to latch onto a through ball down the left flank.
Raphinha: 6/10
Raphinha was the focal point of each attack, specifically in the first half. However, his influence waned in the second half. He did, in fact, win a clear penalty, but it was not to be. He did look quite absent in his defensive duties.
Robert Lewandowski: 5/10
Lewandowski appeared mostly toothless and was unable to breach Celta’s defence as effectively as he would have liked. He was totally missing his shooting boots. To be fair to the Pole, this is only the second time he failed to score in La Liga, and he did not have many openings either.
Ferran Torres: 5/10
Ferran Torres vs. Celta Vigo in the first half:
• 0 successful dribbles
• 0 crosses
• 0 goals
• 0 assists
• 0 key passes
• 0 duels won
• 0 long balls
• 0 tackles
• 1 big chance missed
• 8x possession lostwhat are you cooking? pic.twitter.com/x0bbEf4KJ1
— PedriSZN 💎 (@Maestro_Pedri) October 9, 2022
Torres did threaten the opposition as he tried to give the team and himself opportunities. He was only one inch away from scoring, but he ended up kicking the grass after a superb cross from Jordi Alba and saw another tame effort saved.
SUBSTITUTES
Ansu Fati: 6.5/10
Fati added more pace and electric buzz to Xavi’s attack but was unable to extend Barcelona’s lead.
Frenkie de Jong: 6/10
De Jong returned after injury to give Pedri a break for the final half hour. He did an excellent job of keeping the ball moving and made a couple of good line-breaking surges forward but without any fruition.
Ousmane Dembele: 5/10
Dembele was given the last 30 minutes and had a couple of bright moments in the game. But he could not produce anything decisive enough.
Sergi Roberto: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Eric Garcia: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
