Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez, marveled at his team’s astonishing comeback against Celta Vigo on a memorable Saturday evening, attributing their success to a broader societal shift towards resilience and determination. In a thrilling match at the Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, led by Robert Lewandowski and João Cancelo, overcame a two-goal deficit to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Barcelona’s Game:
The late-game heroics by Barcelona marked a historic moment, making them the first La Liga team in 14 seasons to emerge victorious when trailing by multiple goals entering the 80th minute, as reported by ESPN Stats and Information. Until that point, teams facing such dire circumstances were winless, with a staggering record of 0 wins, 17 draws, and 1,963 losses.
Xavi Hernandez, in a post-match news conference, expressed his admiration for his team’s resilience: It was a spectacular comeback. We believed until the end. We played with faith and courage. It was a rebound brought into the world from a will to win. At the point when you don’t play well, you want these characteristics
As Barcelona remained undefeated through six La Liga games this season, they surged to the top of the league table, anticipating the outcome of Real Madrid’s clash against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Xavi emphasized the generational change witnessed in society and how it manifested on the football pitch: The players don’t give up, 2-0 down, at home, but this generation fights until the end. Gavi, Balde, and Lamine today is a massive point of inflection for our winning character. We have not played great football, but rather it’s about amazing people and confidence.
Celta Vigo had initially taken the lead with a first-half strike from Jörgen Strand Larsen, and Anastasios Douvikas’ late goal appeared to secure an unlikely victory for the visitors, silencing the home crowd. However, two late goals from Lewandowski, orchestrated by João Félix and Cancelo, set the stage for a sensational winner by Cancelo, courtesy of a brilliant Gavi cross.
Xavi singled out midfielder Gavi, who replaced the injured Frenkie de Jong in the first half, as the linchpin of the turnaround: “If we have to personify the comeback in someone, it would be Gavi. But this was a team effort. The Celta’s goal in the 80th minute was a resounding shot, generally, Barça doesn’t come back from that.
The outstanding performance of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who made several crucial saves, prevented Celta Vigo from extending their lead in the second half.
Celta’s coach, Rafa Benitez, communicated his dissatisfaction at his group’s powerlessness to finish off the game: “Assuming the game had finished 4-2 to us, individuals would have said it was fair. We leave with the sensation of not again as has occurred in different games this season when we have buckled down. I told the players toward the end they ought to be furious and irritated because we needed a reason in the last minutes to stop the game a bit and forestall the circumstances they made.”
Regardless of the happiness of the success, Xavi yielded that Barcelona has space for development: ” I concur with all that Benitez said. We expected to contend better and show more reason. We were bad at squeezing after losing the ball. We might have lost, and we will gain from that. The success tastes great, however worse than the 5-0 successes against Real Betis and Antwerp, since that is our way. The way is those games, playing great, better ball course. At the point when our power drops, the group endures a ton.”
However, Barcelona’s triumph was somewhat tarnished by the ankle sprain suffered by Frenkie de Jong, with initial estimates suggesting he will be sidelined for over a month. Xavi expressed hope that the injury would not be severe, stating, We need to see after tests on Sunday. He is a strong player. If he’s asked to come off, there’s a genuine reason for it.
Barcelona’s extraordinary comeback against Celta Vigo not only showcased their fighting spirit but also served as a testament to a generational change in society where resilience, determination, and an unwavering will to win are valued above all else. As Barcelona continues their La Liga campaign, they are well aware that there is still work to be done to achieve their ultimate goals.
