Barcelona advanced toward securing the La Liga championship with a narrow 1-0 win against Celta Vigo on Wednesday, though they saw their scorer Lamine Yamal exit due to a suspected hamstring issue. The young Spanish talent earned and scored a penalty to secure the victory but injured himself during the kick, leading to his substitution before the break. Joao Cancelo also left the game hurt, as Barcelona extended their lead over Real Madrid to nine points at the league summit, with six fixtures left, including a matchup against their rivals on May 10.
“Our focus is on winning each remaining match to claim the title quickly; today’s result was crucial,” Pedri stated to Movistar.
“I hope Lamine’s absence is brief. He’ll undergo tests tomorrow to determine the extent.
“I send him my best wishes; he should remain composed—he’s youthful and likely to heal effectively.”
Under Hansi Flick’s management, the team—competing for the first time since their Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid the previous week—displayed reduced offensive energy.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper Joan Garcia made key stops against Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla early in the contest at Camp Nou.
In a closely contested encounter, Yamal’s quick movements proved decisive for Barcelona.
The attacker advanced into the penalty area, linking up with Dani Olmo, and was brought down by Yoel Lago while attempting to dodge the Celta player.
Yamal slotted a low penalty past Ionut Radu, despite the keeper guessing correctly.
Yet he immediately showed signs of distress, requesting medical help and remaining on the ground as colleagues approached to commend him.
The game paused for more than 15 minutes due to a health emergency among spectators, and upon resumption, Yamal had been swapped for Roony Bardghji.
Barcelona navigated the latter period without generating many opportunities until Ferran Torres struck a volley from Pedri’s assist.
The celebration was brief, as officials ruled the goal offside by a slim margin against the Spanish player.
Ex-Barcelona player Marcos Alonso fired a free-kick into the defensive wall, allowing the home side to secure three important points.
The loss positioned Celta in seventh place, maintaining their aspirations for European competition next year.
“We performed strongly in the opening half, creating opportunities while they had fewer… but standout skill tipped the balance,” noted Jutgla.
“The league is highly contested, and we’ll compete through the final stages.”
In another result, Atletico Madrid suffered a 3-2 defeat to struggling Elche, marking their seventh setback in eight recent outings across competitions.
The team, set to face Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals next Wednesday, failed to regain form after losing the Copa del Rey final on penalties to Real Sociedad the prior weekend.
Diego Simeone’s squad holds a secure fourth spot in La Liga, with the manager opting for reserves to preserve key players following the exhausting cup match.
Nicolas Gonzalez netted twice for the away team, but Elche triumphed thanks to Andre Silva’s double and a strike from David Affengruber, enhancing their chances of avoiding relegation.
Argentine forward Gonzalez scored first after Rodri Mendoza’s backheel set him up near the box.
Elche equalized when Affengruber poked the ball beyond Jan Oblak, and the defender contributed to their subsequent goal.
Atletico spent an hour with only 10 players after Thiago Almada’s red card in the 30th minute for fouling Affengruber in the box.
Silva deceived Oblak from the penalty spot to give the hosts the lead, though Atletico responded swiftly with Gonzalez’s impressive finish.
The winger kept the ball in play, chipped it over Elche keeper Matias Dituro, and headed it in.
Silva sealed the win for Elche with 15 minutes left, firing in from short range to lift his side to a temporary 15th position, two points clear of relegation.
“This loss hurts; the players down to 10 men fought hard to gain something,” Simeone commented to DAZN.
“I take full accountability as the manager.”
(Aside from the title, this report remains unedited by NDTV staff and originates from a syndicated source.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
