Celta drew their third consecutive draw of the season, but this time they suffered the so-called injustice of football, as Claudio Giráldez’s team proved far superior against a Villarreal side that was left with no chance at Abanca Balaídos.
With nine players with a history with Celta Fortuna, the sky-blue team took to the pitch to face one of the most demanding teams in the division. They showed no shortage of the soul, character, and personality of a team hungry for victory. They didn’t let up in the first 45 minutes of the match and, based on quick transitions, managed to subdue Marcelino’s team.
Celta offered a remarkable first half, dominating the ball, the pace, and the chances, without conceding a single chance, but they lacked precision in their final passes. However, the start of the second half proved cruel, and in the 53rd minute, Pépé put the Villarreal ahead. A goal that unsettled Celta for several minutes, but Claudio Giráldez reacted quickly with brave substitutions that gave the team breath and depth. The final siege paid off when all seemed lost: a cross into the box in the 94th minute, a header from Javi Rueda, and, in the second play, Borja Iglesias equalized, also with a header, unleashing euphoria in the Abanca Balaídos stands. A thrilling final few minutes in which even the Celta team could have ended up taking the win.
Finally, the referee blew his whistle to end the match with a draw, giving Celta a point before the international break. The next match will also be at home against Girona on Sunday, September 14, at 2:00 PM.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
1 – Celta: Andrei Radu, Javi Rodríguez (Óscar Mingueza, min. 75), Carlos Domínguez, Manu Fernández, Hugo Sotelo, Miguel Román (Ilaix Moriba, min. 69), Javi Rueda, Sergio Carreira, Iago Aspas (Williot Swedberg, min. 69), Bryan Zaragoza (Borja Iglesias, min. 62) and Pablo Durán (Hugo Álvarez, min. 62).
1 – Villarreal: Júnior R., Rafa Marín, Foyth, Santi Comesaña, Mouriño, Buchanan (I. Akhomach, min. 77), Gueye (Parejo, min. 77), Pépé (Renato Veiga, min. 85), A.Moleiro (Thomas, min. 67), Cardona and Etta Eyoug (Oluwaseyi, min.77).
Goals: 0-1, min. 53: Pépé. 1-1, min. 93: Borja Iglesias.
Referee: Quintero González (Andalusian Committee). For Celta, he booked Miguel Román and showed a red card to a member of the coaching staff. For Villarreal, Gueye received a yellow card.
Incidents: Matchday 3 of LaLiga EA Sports was played at the Abanca Balaídos stadium in front of 21,172 spectators.
