MY ACCOUNT
Pedri was the hero for Barcelona as they saw off a LaLiga challenge from Celta Vigo to take an unpersuasive 1-0 win on Sunday.
Despite a bright, almost bombastic start from Xavi’s side, the Blaugrana gradually faded once again in defence of an early lead, ultimately escaping with all three points intact.
A week on from a similar performance against Mallorca, questions may be lingering about Barca’s prowess, even as they sit top of the table.
Yet after the sting of a Champions League loss to Inter in midweek, the Catalans were at least back to winning ways.
A dominant start from Barcelona hinted at a blowout scoreline, and Pedri’s poacher’s finish amid defensive disarray in the 17th minute certainly whet the appetite.
But a subsequent struggle to find a second goal before the break did little to dispel a nervous air around Camp Nou, especially with just under a dozen chances otherwise squandered by the hosts.
That gnawing unease manifested itself in a markedly scratchier start to the second half, during which Celta gradually began to impose more of a threat.
Such pressure seemed to tell when Jorgen Strand Larsen headed home with 20 minutes left, but the offside flag spared Barca’s blushes, and from there they held on all the way for a less-than-convincing result.
What does it mean? Barca bounce back, but only just
With a flurry of early chances and spearheaded by the dynamic signings of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, Barca looked every inch the side capable of inflicting a statement result.
But after the interval, they retreated into their shell and became gradually restrictive. Raphinha was replaced after an hour by Ousmane Dembele, and Xavi may count his lucky stars to have dodged a draw in this one.
Gavi muscles up
It was youngster Gavi’s cross from the left that did the legwork for Pedri’s close-range finish earlier on – and it was his willingness to get stuck in that helped him stand out.
With 15 duels throughout, no other Barca player got into the thick of one-to-one battles as much as the teenager, even if he won just seven of those.
Celta fall short at the last
After a first half that effectively saw them buttoned up, the visitors had to cut loose to chase the game after the interval, and Barca’s anaemic approach opened the door to do so.
Celta had 14 goal attempts by the end, a dozen alone in the second half. Barcelona had 13 shots across the 90 minutes. This loss will perhaps be a bitter pill for Celta to swallow.
Key Opta facts
– Barcelona now have five victories from their last 11 games against Celta in LaLiga (D4 L2) and have won two in a row against the Galicians for the first time in the competition since March 2014.
– Barcelona have won their last seven LaLiga games, keeping a clean sheet in the last six – they have gone six games without conceding in the competition for the first time since May 2015 (W6).
– Barcelona are the only team that have not conceded first in LaLiga this season, and they have won all seven games in which they have scored the first goal.
– With just one goal conceded after the first eight games in LaLiga, Barcelona have become the fourth ever team to concede one or fewer at this stage after themselves in 2014-15 (0), Real Madrid in 1997-98 (1) and Deportivo La Coruna in 1993-94 (1).
– Pedri has scored four goals in his last 10 LaLiga games – all four from his last four shots on target – as many as he scored in his first 47 matches in the competition for the Catalonian side.
– Pedri completed five out of five dribbles against Celta, his highest tally in a game without a single failed dribble for Barcelona in all competitions.
– Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen has saved 19 of the 20 shots on target he has faced in LaLiga this season. The 95 per cent success rate is the best in the top five European leagues (LaLiga, Serie A, Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga) among goalkeepers with five or more saves.
What’s next?
Barcelona return to Champions League action with their reverse fixture against Inter on Wednesday. Celta must wait until Sunday for their next game, hosting Real Sociedad in LaLiga.
