Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona: Suarez brace not enough as more points dropped
Barça twice led in Vigo before giving up two big points in the title race with Real Madrid
Luis Suarez scored twice but Barcelona dropped points at Celta Vigo on Saturday as they drew 2-2 to risk falling further behind Real Madrid in the title race.
CEL
2 ________________ 2
FCB
LINE UP
Real Club Celta
Rubén, Kevin, Aidoo, Jorge Saénz, Araujo (Murillo, 72'), Jacobo (Santi Mina, 80'), Okay (Rafinha, 59'), Brais Méndez (Bradaric, 59') Denis Suárez, Iago Aspas y Smolov (Nolito, 59')
FC Barcelona
Ter Stegen, Semedo, Piqué, Umtiti, Jordi Alba (Junior, 80'), Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Riqui Puig (Arthur, 85'), Messi (c), Ansu Fati (Braithwaite, 67') y Suárez (Griezmann, 80')
Goles
0-1, min. 19: Luis Suárez remata de cabeza tras una falta botada por Messi. 1-1, min. 49: Okay recibe un pase de Aspas y asiste a Smolov, que marca a placer. 1-2, min. 67: Luis Suárez se revuelve en el área y marca con un chut cruzado. 2-2, min. 89: Iago Aspas, de falta directa.
Árbitro
Cuadra Fernández (comité balear). Amonestó con cartulina amarilla a Jordi Alba (min. 12), Brais Méndez (min. 33), Umtiti (min. 52), Araujo (min. 60), Braithwaite (min. 81), Aspas (min. 89) y Piqué (90+5).
Incidencias
Partido correspondiente a la 32ª jornada de LaLiga Santander, disputado en el estadio de Balaídos a puerta cerrada.
Suarez opened the scoring with a header from a Lionel Messi free-kick in the first half but Fyodor Smolov leveled things up after the break.
A second goal of the afternoon for Suarez, again set up by Messi, looked to have set Barça on route to three points but Iago Aspas's 88th-minute free-kick earned a point for the home side.
Barca are now one point clear of Madrid at the top of the table but could be two points behind if Zinedine Zidane's side win their game in hand at Espanyol on Sunday.
Next up for Barca is Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Tuesday, while a trip to Villarreal next weekend does not look particularly appetising at the moment, either.
BALAIDOS BLUES
Balaidos has not been a happy hunting ground for Barca in recent seasons. They have not won there since 2015 but they looked good in the first half, with youngsters Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati starting.
Gerard Pique hit the bar after six minutes against a Celta side who had won their last two games but had one eye on the midweek match against Mallorca.
Barca took a deserved lead when a clever Messi free-kick set up Suarez. Everyone was expecting the shot, but Messi instead chipped the ball to the Uruguayan to bury his 12th league goal of the campaign and his first since knee surgery in January.
Quique Setien's side could have scored more in the first half but were pegged back after the break. Ivan Rakitic gave the ball away and, with Samuel Umtiti out of position, Celta exploited the space. Okay Yokuslu squared for Smolov to tap in.
The game was open now but a moment of brilliance from Suarez, spinning and clinically finishing from 15 yards, restored Barca's lead in the 67th minute.
Marc ter Stegen then made a fine save from Nolito as Barca looked set to seal three important points.
But there was one final twist when a debatable foul was given against Pique and local hero Aspas bent the free-kick low around the wall to earn Celta a point and prolong Barca's winless run at Balaidos.
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