There was no need to worry! There is always something ominous about going to Balaídos, a ground where Barça had only won on two of their last ten visits, but a 4-2 win, Robert Lewandowski hat-trick and a masterclass from Marcus Rashford included, coupled with a 0-0 stalemate for Real Madrid at Rayo Vallecano, means that the difference at the top of the table has been cut to just three points.

A manic first half saw Celta cancel out Barça’s lead on two occasions but the home side couldn’t find an answer to Lamine Yamal’s third. The Galicians barely got a look-in after the break as an utterly dominant Barça moved two goals ahead and it was relatively plain sailing from then until the final whistle.

the game as it happened

Penalty lead cancelled out

These two sides have served up plenty of dramatic in recent battles, and the Galician rain wasn’t going to prevent today’s encounter from being any different. An enthralling end-to-end first 45 minutes produced five goals, with Barça edging it 3-2 at the break.

 

A handball in the area from former blaugrana Marcos Alonso was the reason behind Barça’s opener on ten minutes, Lewandowski smashing the ball home in relief after missing his last penalty attempt against Sevilla.

But Celta were making all kinds of dangerous use of the space Barça’s advanced defensive line was leaving open at the back, and the home side took just a minute to get back level when Sergio Carreira beat the offside trap.

Celta hit back again

The Catalans responded brilliantly, and Rashford had already hit the post in an extraordinary goalmouth scramble before delivering the most exquisite of crosses, landing the ball right where Lewandowski likes it best. Despite having three men on him, the Pole was the quickest thinker and Barça were once again ahead.

But that lead didn’t last long either. Not even Celta’s goalscorer, Borja Iglesias, seemed to know where his shot had come from, but it was a thunderbolt, and there was nothing Wojciech Szczęsny could do to stop a rocket like that.

Back on top

Back to square one for Barça, but before the interval they were in front for the third time.

The last place the Celta defence would have wanted a loose ball to end up was at the feet of Lamine Yamal. But that’s where it landed, the teenager made no mistake, and Barça would be enjoying their half-time refreshments as leaders by the odd goal in five.

In the second half, Barça had things far more under control. Celta were no longer able to create peril by sending the ball into space and instead it was one-way traffic all the way to goal number four on 73 minutes.

Lewy hat-trick

Rashford dished up the corner and Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with a tremendous backward header that bounded in off the far post. Finally, some breathing space. Barça were two goals to the good and Celta’s spark was fizzling out.

The sky-blues still had twenty-or-so minutes to muster something, but no matter what they tried, Barça had their measure. There wasn’t really a single play where their goal was seriously threatened, while Barça very nearly made it five when Lamine hit the post.

Frenkie de Jong was sent off for a second yellow in injury time, but the three points were well and truly settled by then, and Barça go into the international break in a much healthier position than they were in at the start of the weekend.

There's now a fortnight to wait until Saturday 22 November (4.15pm CET) when Barça are at home to Athletic Club.

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