Celta escaped with a draw in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie against Olympique Lyonnais at Abanca Balaídos. The result felt bittersweet given how the French side equalized, but it leaves the tie wide open for the second leg in seven days at the Groupama Stadium.
The match was, above all, a test of resilience from Claudio Giráldez’s team. Lyon took control from the outset with long spells of possession and a high press, orchestrated in midfield by Corentin Tolisso. Faced with this, Celta retreated in an organized fashion, compacting their lines and defending resolutely, relying on their three-man backline and the work of their midfielders.
Even so, the sky-blue side managed to find their moment. On a counter-attack, Matías Vecino broke through the lines and passed to Williot Swedberg. The Swede delivered a low cross into the box that Javi Rueda tapped into the net, unleashing euphoria at Abanca Balaídos.
The game changed after halftime with Borja Iglesias’ surprising sending-off for a second yellow card. With over half an hour remaining and a man down, Celta were forced to sit back. From then on, the plan was clear: to hold on. The team packed their defense near their own area, redoubled their efforts, and fought for every ball as if it were their last. During this period, Andrei Radu also emerged as a key figure, keeping his team in the game with some excellent saves.
Just when it seemed their efforts would pay off, the final blow came. In the 86th minute, a low shot from Endrick from the edge of the box found its way into the Celta net, leveling the score.
With this result, the tie remains wide open, and Celta will travel to Lyon in search of the victory that would send them through to the Europa League quarterfinals. The Groupama Stadium will be the stage where the qualification will be decided next Thursday, March 19 at 6:45 p.m., and the presence of more than 3,000 sky-blue fans is expected, with whom we will fight together until the final whistle.
