Celta started 2026 in the best possible way, with a convincing win over Valencia CF and their second victory in a row at Abanca Balaídos. After a somewhat sluggish start, the match was decided after the break with a great counterattack.
During the first few minutes, the game was uncomfortable, with a slow pace and few chances for either side. The highlight was a challenge on Almeida inside the area that the referee awarded as a penalty, an opportunity to take the lead that Valencia squandered when Radu saved the spot kick. Celta had more luck from the penalty spot when, on the stroke of half-time, Borja Iglesias was brought down in the area. The striker made no mistake and put his team ahead before the break.
In the second half, Valencia took more risks, which allowed Celta to find space to run into. In a well-worked move, Pablo Durán set up Borja Iglesias, who scored his second goal of the afternoon to put his team in control.
With twenty minutes to go, Valencia managed to reduce the deficit with a goal from Pepelu from the edge of the box, but the Celeste response was immediate. Jones El-Abdellaoui took advantage of a long ball and, in a lightning-fast counterattack, made it 3-1. In the final minutes, Celta calmly managed the clock and continued to punish Carlos Corberán’s side on the counterattack. In stoppage time, Hugo Álvarez sealed the victory after a fine team move, putting the finishing touch to an afternoon in which A Rianxeira rang out once again at Abanca Balaídos.
With this victory, Celta reaches 26 points with one match remaining to close out the first half of the season, which will be next Monday, January 12, at 9:00 p.m., at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium against Sevilla FC.
But first, Claudio Giráldez’s players have a very special date with all the Celta fans this Monday at 11:00 a.m., at the traditional open training session to be held at Abanca Balaídos on the eve of one of the most magical days of the year.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
4 – Celta: Andrei Radu; Javi Rodríguez (Manu Fernández, min. 81), Joseph Aidoo, Marcos Alonso; Óscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, Miguel Román, Sergio Carreira; Williot Swedberg (Pablo Durán, min. 27) (Iago Aspas, min. 81), Bryan Zaragoza (Jones El-Abdellaoui, min. 66) and Borja Iglesias (Hugo Álvarez, min. 66).
1 – Valencia: Agirrezabala; Thierry (Ramazani, min. 57), Foulquier (Tárrega, min. 66), Diakhaby, Copete (Diego López, min. 81), Vázquez; Pepelu, Javi Guerra (Danjuma, min. 66), Almeida; Lucas Beltrán (Rioja, min. 57) and Hugo Duro.
Goals: 1-0, min. 33: Borja Iglesias, de penalti. 2-0, min. 59: Borja Iglesias. 2-1, min. 70: Pepelu. 3-1, min. 83: Jones. 4-1, min. 94: Hugo Álvarez.
Referee: De Burgos Bengoetxea (Basque Committee). For Celta, Javi Rodríguez was booked. For Valencia CF, Hugo Duro, Ramazani, and Copete were booked.
Incidents: Match corresponding to matchday 18 of Laliga EA Sports played at Abanca Balaídos in front of 20,475 spectators. Before the start of the match, a respectful minute’s silence was held in memory of all Celta fans who died during 2025.
