Nervy Barcelona rely on late Lewandowski penalty to beat Celta

Robert Lewandowski scored an injury-time penalty to give Barcelona a dramatic 2-1 victory away at Celta Vigo, on Saturday. The Polish striker had missed his initial spot-kick in the 97th minute but was allowed to retake it after the referee judged goalkeeper Vicente Guaita to have moved off his line prematurely.

Lewandowski made no mistake with his second attempt, securing all three points for Barcelona. The win ends Barcelona’s run of two straight draws but keeps them in third place below Girona. They dominated possession in the first half but struggled to create clear chances until Lewandowski opened the scoring just before half-time with a fine finish from the edge of the box.

Celta equalised soon after the interval through talisman Iago Aspas, whose 200th career goal took a big deflection off Jules Kounde. The 36-year-old has an excellent record against Barcelona with 11 goals in 19 matches.

The hosts looked to have secured a hard-earned point until the dramatic finale. Fran Beltran’s foul on Lamine Yamal in stoppage time gifted Barcelona the chance to win it. After missing his first attempt, Lewandowski showed nerves of steel to score on the second try.

The victory continues Barcelona’s resurgence this season, although they have endured some ups and downs. The late winner from their star striker Lewandowski, who now has 50 Barcelona goals, will come as a huge relief for manager Xavi. The defeat leaves Celta just three points clear of the relegation zone.