Robert Lewandowski's late penalty secured a narrow 2-1 victory for Barcelona against Celta Vigo in LaLiga, providing a timely boost ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash with Napoli.
The match initially lacked inspiration from Barcelona until Lewandowski's moment of brilliance just before halftime. Lamine Yamal set up the Poland forward, who displayed excellent skill to create space with an outside-of-the-boot strike that flew past goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
Despite their precarious position in 17th place, Celta Vigo fought back strongly, with Iago Aspas equalizing early in the second half courtesy of a deflected shot past Marc-André ter Stegen.
The tense atmosphere in the Galician stadium reflected the importance of the game for both teams, with Celta Vigo desperate for points to avoid relegation. Aspas missed several opportunities to secure victory for his side before Fran Beltrán's unfortunate mistake led to Lewandowski's decisive penalty in stoppage time.
Although Guaita initially saved Lewandowski's spot-kick, VAR intervened, indicating the goalkeeper's premature movement off the goal line, allowing Lewandowski to convert the retake.
Reflecting on his performance, Lewandowski expressed relief at the outcome, emphasizing the significance of securing the three points for Barcelona.
With Barcelona now sitting third in the standings, Xavi Hernandez acknowledged the importance of the victory and praised his players' dedication despite the challenging circumstances. He highlighted the positive results since announcing his departure at the end of the season as validation of his decision.
Barcelona's focus now shifts to the Champions League, with Lewandowski and his teammates eager to carry the momentum from this hard-fought win into their upcoming European fixture against Napoli.
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