Celta are now among the eight best teams in the UEFA Europa League. And they achieved this after overcoming a highly demanding tie against Olympique de Lyon, which was decided in the final stage.
The round began at Abanca Balaídos, where the draw left everything open for the return leg. On that occasion, Javi Rueda’s goal put the Celestes ahead in a tightly contested match, but the French side managed to equalize in the final minutes, forcing the tie to be decided in Lyon.
With that scenario, Celta traveled to the Groupama Stadium aware that the margin was minimal and the challenge maximum. There, more than 3,000 Celta supporters accompanied the team from the stands, making their presence felt from the start and fighting together for a dream no one wanted to wake from. Their support transformed on the pitch and was crucial for Claudio Giráldez’s side to impose their authority. Javi Rueda opened the way and Ferran Jutglà closed the match to secure a victory that not only guarantees Celta’s place in the Europa League quarter-finals, but also writes another page in the club’s history as it was the first official Celeste win on French soil.
The final whistle confirmed the qualification and unleashed euphoria, and Celta are now in the Europa League quarter-finals, where they will face SC Freiburg, with home and away legs on April 9 and 16, respectively.
The club wants to heartily thank all Celta supporters, especially those who were in Lyon. Together we made the difference again, and together we will continue fighting and defending the Celeste badge across Europe.
