Celta closed out the year with a point at the Carlos Tartiere stadium in a lackluster, slow-paced match, where their defensive solidity once again stood out. It was their third consecutive league clean sheet, competing in a less than ideal context due to the accumulated fatigue of the past month and facing a more persistent Real Oviedo side that lacked precision in the final third.
The start was difficult for Celta, who struggled without the ball and were forced to retreat into a deep defensive block. The home side dominated possession and focused their attack down the flanks, particularly with crosses, although without creating many clear-cut chances. Celta, for their part, had the first real opportunity of the game through Javi Rueda and held firm until Oviedo’s pressure began to wane.
After the break, the script remained largely unchanged. Celta opted for a long ball and transitions, while Oviedo maintained the initiative and aggression in their duels. Despite this, the best chances again fell to Celta, with several well-defended shots by goalkeeper Aarón Escandell, and a header from a set piece that narrowly missed the target.
In the final stages, Claudio Giráldez’s team stepped up their game. With Iago Aspas taking control, they enjoyed their best spell of the match and a couple of counter-attacks that could have broken the deadlock, but ultimately, they lacked the finishing touch. Thus, Celta finishes the year with five consecutive away games unbeaten and a total of 23 points, placing them 7th in the table.
The team will rest next week to return stronger for the first game of 2026, which will be played at Abanca Balaídos on Saturday, January 3rd at 2:00 PM, against Valencia CF.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
0 – Real Oviedo: Aarón Escandell; Lucas Ahijado, David Costas, Eric Bailly, Alhassane; Kwasi Sibo, Colombatto; Josip Brekalo (Hassan, min. 70), Reina (Santi Cazorla, min. 81), Ilyas Chaira (Rondón, min. 81); Fede Viñas (Ilic, min. 85).
0 – Celta: Radu; Marcos Alonso, Carl Starfelt, Manu Fernández (Javi Rodríguez, min. 75); Javi Rueda, Miguel Román, Fran Beltrán (Ilaix Moriba, min. 62), Sergio Carreira; Bryan Zaragoza (Iago Aspas, min. 62), Ferran Jutglá (Hugo Álvarez, min. 82), Williot Swedberg (Jones El-Abdellaoui, min. 75).
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández (Canary Islands Committee). Manu Fernández received a yellow card for Celta. Colombatto and Ahijado were booked for Real Oviedo.
Incidents: 23,613 at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium for the final match of 2025, corresponding to Matchday 17 of LaLiga EA Sports.
