Celta Vigo tightened their hold on a top-eight finish in LaLiga with a gritty 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, who extended their winless streak in the league to six matches, something they haven’t endured since January 2022.
Despite making seven changes from the side that beat Sevilla over the weekend, Celta started brightly and nearly took an early lead.
Fer Lopez played a key role in the opening chance, sliding a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Borja Iglesias. The forward burst through on goal but saw his low strike drift just wide of the far post.
That near miss sparked Sociedad into action. They began to dominate possession for most of the first half, though they offered little threat in the final third.
Their first real attempt didn’t arrive until the 33rd minute, and even that came from a set-piece. Mikel Oyarzabal met Sergio Gomez’s corner with a powerful header, only to see it flash narrowly past the upright.
Despite Sociedad’s first-half control, it was Celta who struck first. A slick two-pass move saw Alfonso Gonzalez break free behind the defense.
Although his initial shot was blocked by goalkeeper Alex Remiro’s legs, Gonzalez pounced on the rebound and tucked the ball into an empty net to give the visitors the lead.
With their European hopes fading and little left to play for, Sociedad emerged for the second half without much urgency.
Their best opportunity came through a bit of luck, when Hamari Traore’s shot slipped under Vicente Guaita, but the veteran keeper reacted quickly to stop the ball from crossing the line.
That moment seemed to inject some life into the hosts, and they came agonizingly close to leveling the match moments later.
Oyarzabal found space at the far post and nodded goalward, but his header smacked off the upright, much to his dismay.
Sociedad pushed forward in the final minutes in search of an equaliser, but their efforts fell short.
They’ve now failed to score in three consecutive home league fixtures, a worrying trend as their season fizzles out.
While this defeat all but ends La Reale’s hopes of European football next term, Celta Vigo appear to be surging at just the right time.
Their resolute display earned them back-to-back wins and left them poised for a return to European competition for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign.
