RC Celta scored a valuable victory at Abanca Balaídos against a RCD Mallorca that kept the pressure on until the last minute. Hugo Álvarez and Iago Aspas were in charge of putting the icing in a match in which the sky blue players used tactical and offensive quality to beat Arrasate’s team.
Celta took the field with the great surprise of the first start of the youth player, Fer López, who made his debut in Laliga after his goal-scoring performance in the Copa del Rey against Salamanca CF UDS. A staging in which he dazzled all the fans present in Abanca Balaídos with his waste of quality in every action in which he participated.
In the early stages of the match, Celta and Mallorca shared the dominance of the game, with the sky blue being the first to make the first clear arrival with a long-range shot by Ilaix Moriba that went over the goal. It didn’t take long for the Mallorcan team to reply, who had to face a colossal Vicente Guaita, who rejected any attacking attempt. The match went on until, in the 32nd minute, Hugo Álvarez opened the scoring with a cross shot that first hit the inside of the post and ended up going into the opposite side, unleashing euphoria in Balaídos. A spectacular play that began with Fran Beltrán, in the center of the field, stealing the ball from Samú Costa and from there, the celestial gave speed to the attack combining the play with Fer López, Ilaix Moriba and Williot Swedberg who assisted the young player from Ourense perfectly placed.
With 1-0 on the scoreboard, Mallorca intensified their attack, increasing the tension of the match. It was at that moment when in an action with Van der Heyden, Fer Lopez went to the ground suffering from his right ankle. A few moments of uncertainty that finally led the young homegrown player to leave the field of play due to injury and was replaced by Iago Aspas. An unexpected blow that Arrasate’s team tried to take advantage of to approach Guaita’s goal with the intention of tying the match without success.
The start of the second half was the same as the first, with intensity from both teams, pressing high and sharing the dominance. It was Hugo Álvarez again who tried to score the second after getting away from two opponents at the edge of the area and shooting a shot that went wide of the left post by just a few centimeters. With the scoreboard in favor, and a Mallorca that was slowly approaching desperation, Claudio Giráldez moved the bench trying to bring freshness to the team. At that moment, Alfon entered the field and very close to score the second in his first action of the match after shooting a great cross from Hugo Alvarez. Celta came up when in the middle of an attack by Tasos Douvikas, Raíllo put his hand to clear the ball which, after reviewing it in the VAR, De Burgos Bengoetxea pointed out as a straight red card. Mallorca was down to ten men and changed their system and withdrew the team to try to stop an unleashed Celeste team. In the 82nd minute, Iago Aspas appeared to put the 2-0 in a play that he himself started with a pass to Oscar Mingueza that would clear the Majorcan defense, returning the ball to the feet of the player from Moaña who sent it directly to the back of the net leaving the match ready for sentence.
Three points that RC Celta adds again to place itself in a comfortable tenth position before visiting Sevilla FC next Saturday, December 14, at 18:30h. in the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
2 – RC Celta: Vicente Guaita; Javi Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso; Óscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, Fran Beltrán, Hugo Álvarez (Mihailo Ristic, 86′), Fer López (Iago Aspas, 43′), Williot Swedberg (Alfon, 65′) and Borja Iglesias (Douvikas, 65′).
0 – RCD Mallorca: Greif; Mateu Jaume, Valjent, Raíllo, Heyden; Mascarell, Samu Costa (Chiquinho, 88′), Roberto Navarro (Mojica, 58′), Dani Rodríguez (Sergi Darder, 83′), Llabrés (Muriqui, 58′) and Larín (Asano, 83′).
Goals: 1-0 (min. 32) Hugo Álvarez. 2-0 (min. 82) Iago Aspas.
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea. For RC Celta, Javi Rodríguez was shown the yellow card. For RCD Mallorca, Raíllo was sent off with a straight red card in the 78th minute.
Incidents: Match corresponding to 16 of LALIGA EA SPORTS played at the Abanca Balaídos stadium in front of 22,861 people.
