Barcelona moved nine points clear at the top of La Liga after a narrow 1–0 victory over Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on Wednesday night, but the win was overshadowed by an injury to teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The match proved to be a difficult, scrappy affair for the league leaders, who were unsettled early on by an energetic Celta side.
The visitors pressed aggressively, moved the ball well between the lines, and created several early openings that forced Barcelona’s goalkeeper into important saves.
In contrast, Barcelona struggled to impose their rhythm and looked uncomfortable in possession during the opening half-hour.
Although Yamal provided the hosts’ main attacking spark with a couple of efforts from distance, most of Barça’s early play lacked fluency.
However, the game shifted late in the first half when the youngster was brought down in the penalty area by Yoel Lago.
Yamal stepped up to convert the spot kick and give Barcelona the lead, but the moment quickly turned sour as he picked up a hamstring injury during the strike and had to be substituted.
The first half was also heavily disrupted by a medical emergency in the stands, leading to a lengthy delay that stretched the period to nearly 70 minutes of real time.
Barcelona went into the break with a slender advantage, aware they would have to manage the second half without their brightest talent.
After the restart, Celta attempted to push for an equaliser but lacked the sharpness and intensity they showed earlier in the game.
Barcelona, meanwhile, remained largely controlled but struggled to create clear chances. Ferran Torres thought he had doubled the lead after finishing a brilliant cross from Pedri, only for the goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside decision that required a semi-automated review.
As the match drifted towards its conclusion, opportunities were few and far between. A late defensive error from Eric García handed Celta a dangerous free-kick at the edge of the box, but Marcos Alonso’s effort struck the wall, ending their last real chance.
In the end, Barcelona held on for a vital but far from convincing victory—one that restores their cushion at the top of the table but comes at the worrying cost of Yamal’s injury ahead of a tough trip to Getafe.
