CELTA 4-1 BARCELONA: NOLITO STARS AS HOSTS HAMMER CHAMPIONS AT BALAIDOS

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The former Barca man netted the opener,
while Iago Aspas struck twice and John
Guidetti rounded off the scoring against
the Catalans, who only managed one goal
through Neymar
Barcelona were beaten for the first time in
La Liga this season as Celta Vigo romped
to a stunning 4-1 victory at Balaidos on
Wednesday.
Nolito haunted his former club by scoring
a sublime opener and setting up two goals
for Iago Aspas in an astonishing contest
which saw Barca's defence repeatedly
opened up by an impressive home side,
with Gerard Pique enduring a match to
forget.
Lionel Messi hit the post early in the
second half and Sergio Alvarez made a
string of good saves prior to a goal from
Neymar, but Celta were worthy winners
and they sealed the points through
substitute John Guidetti's late goal.
The huge victory puts them above their
opponents and Atletico Madrid in the
early-season table.
Celta have now taken 13 points from their
first five matches of the season, while the
defeat comes as a bitter blow for a Barca
side that had started the campaign in
impressive fashion with four wins from
four.
Pique returned to league action after
suspension as Luis Enrique made five
changes to the team that beat Levante
last time out for the game against his
former club, with Andres Iniesta and Luis
Suarez amongst the stars brought in. Jordi
Alba was absent with a neck injury.
Celta started positively but it was Barca
who created the best chance of the early
stages. Iniesta drove towards goal and
slipped a pass through to Messi, whose
shot was parried to safety by Sergio.
The champions had another opportunity
shortly afterwards when Messi combined
with Neymar but the Brazilian could only
shoot straight at Sergio from a decent
opening.
Barca regretted those missed chances
when Celta moved in front on 26 minutes.
Hugo Mallo's cross from the right made it
all the way through to Nolito in the far
corner of the penalty area and the 28-year-
old guided a curling effort brilliantly into
the far corner, with a diving Marc-Andre
ter Stegen only able to get a faint hand to
the ball.
Four minutes later it was two for the
hosts. A casual Pique lost possession on
the halfway line to Nolito, whose flick-on
allowed Aspas to race clean through on
goal and scoop a stunning left-footed
finish over Ter Stegen and into the net.
Celta missed a golden opportunity to make
it three shortly after half-time. Sergio
Busquets gave away possession and
Daniel Wass' pass sent Aspas through
again, but the former Liverpool forward
could only fire wide.
At the other end, Iniesta teased his way
into the box and squared for Messi, whose
left-footed shot bounced off the post when
a goal seemed certain.
Barca were beginning to pile on the
pressure and Pique headed narrowly over
before Messi lashed another shot towards
goal that Sergio did well to repel.
But Luis Enrique's men paid the price for
committing so many men forward as Celta
scored an astonishing third on 56
minutes. Sergio punched clear from a
crowded area and Nolito completed the
clearance by finding Aspas on halfway,
where the forward raced away from Dani
Alves and ran unopposed into the penalty
area and comfortably slotted past Ter
Stegen.
It should have been four when Nolito raced
clear after another counter-attack left the
Barca defence completely exposed, but the
Spain international's finish rolled the
wrong side of the far post.
Sergio made two further saves from
substitute Munir and Neymar as the
visitors desperately looked for a way back
into the game.
Barca did score with 10 minutes remaining
when Messi's chipped long-range pass was
impressively controlled and finished in the
box by Neymar.
But Celta sealed a famous triumph with a
fourth goal on 83 minutes. Pique failed to
intercept Mallo's cut-back and substitute
Guidetti smashed home from close-range
to complete a miserable day for the
champions.

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