Celta Vigo came from behind to defeat Celtic 2-1 in their UEFA Europa League clash on Thursday, with defender Javi Rodríguez scoring twice to secure victory for the Spanish side at Celtic Park.
Celtic took the lead two minutes into the second half through Mika Baur, but Rodríguez turned the game around with two goals in the space of three minutes to give the visitors all three points.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when Baur finished with his right foot.
However, Celta responded in the 68th minute as Hugo Álvarez delivered a cross that Rodríguez headed into the net to restore parity.
Three minutes later, Rodríguez struck again, finding the net with a right-footed effort to complete his brace and put Celta ahead for the first time in the encounter.
Celtic pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages and hit the woodwork, but the Scottish side could not find a way past the visitors’ defence as Celta held on for the win.
Despite conceding first, Celta dominated much of the encounter, recording 22 shots against Celtic’s eight and enjoying 56 per cent possession.
The visitors also won six corners, compared with two for the hosts.
Both teams managed four shots on target, but Celta created the clearer opportunities, finishing with an expected goals figure of 1.21 against Celtic’s 0.51.
Rodríguez was the standout performer, combining his two goals with four clearances, two interceptions and eight recoveries as he helped Celta withstand Celtic’s late pressure.
Celta’s victory was also supported by the contributions of Álvarez, who provided the assist for the equaliser, while experienced defender Marcos Alonso helped control possession with 111 passes.
For Celtic, Baur’s early second-half goal was a bright moment, but the hosts were unable to capitalise on their advantage as Celta responded emphatically to claim the victory.
