Luis Enrique's side were hammered by Celta Vigo on Wednesday night, with Nolito, Iago Aspas and John Guidetti among the goals at Baliaidos. Neymar grabbed a late consolotion for Barça
Barcelona can have no complaints about the way their 100 percent start to the la Liga season was ripped away from them on Wednesday night. Celta Vigo, who ran out 4-1 winners, were simply too good at Balaidos.
Nolito opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season when he produced a fine finish from the corner of the box, with Iago Aspas doubling the home side’s lead with a wonderful scooped effort before half time. Aspas then added the third after the break with another clever finish.
The last time Barça trailed by three goals in a league game was in 2008, but if anything they were lucky they didn’t find themselves four behind here. As the Catalans poured forward, Celta were a constant threat on the break.
A late Neymar goal gave Barça false hope of a comeback, with substitute John Guidetti quickly confirming Celta’s superiority.
After four straight wins, it’s now back to the drawing board for Barça, whose squad is looking scarily short. As for Celta, they proved that last season’s win at Camp Nou was no fluke.
Luis Enrique surprisingly dropped Ivan Rakitic for the clash at Balaidos, with Sergi Roberto taking his place in midfield. The youngster had been thriving at right-back, in the absence of Dani Alves, but the Brazilian returned at the weekend against Levante and kept his place.
Gerard Pique was also back in the side, for the first time in La Liga this season, after being suspended for the first four games.
Lucho warned before the game that unless Barcelona were playing at an exceptional level, Celta Vigo would punish them. And that's how the game started off, with extreme pressure from the hosts.
Iago Aspas got behind the lines but almost seemed confused by being in such a good position and skewed a cross-shot along the box. Barcelona transfer target Nolito also flicked the ball through Alves's legs early on, but Sergi Roberto covered well to block his progress.
At the other end Messi's shot was palmed behind for a corner and when he threaded through Neymar the Brazilian was denied by Sergio Alvarez.
Celta surged back and Sergio Busquets was booked for a foul on Nolito as the Celta No;10 pressured Barcelona's defence.
A few minutes later he made them pay. Receiving the ball on the left-hand-side of the area, there should have been little danger. But nobody closed him down and he launched a shot into the top right corner over Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who got a hand to it and perhaps should have kept the strike out.
Barcelona were stunned, and then stunned again minutes later, when Iago Aspas doubled Celta Vigo's lead. Gerard Pique gave the ball away in midfield under pressure and Aspas raced in on goal, chipping Ter Stegen exquisitely to make it 2-0.
Neymar tried to pull a goal back before the interval but his shot was blocked by staunch Celta defending.
Aspas let Barça off the hook at the beginning of the second half, dragging a shot wide of the far post, before Barça began to take chances. Messi hit the post when he should have scored and Pique headed over.
They were soon made to pay for their wastefulness when Celta broke from defending a corner. Nolito’s pass was superbly taken by Aspas, who lifted the ball over Dani Alves, raced down on Ter Stegen and cooly finished.
Munir El Haddadi was thrown on and he soon brought a save from Sergio Alvarez, with Neymar then going one better. Messi’s pass was great and the Braizlian’s finish was tidy, even if it did only prove a consolation.
Celta quickly killed off any thoughts of a comeback with Hugo Mallo putting their fourth goal on a silver platter for Guidetti.
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