Barcelona Pull Off Insane 98th-Minute Comeback in Seven-Goal Thriller vs Celta Vigo

In a night packed with chaos, controversy, and high-octane football, Barcelona pulled off a miraculous 4-3 comeback victory over Celta Vigo at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, stretching their lead at the top of LaLiga to seven points over arch-rivals Real Madrid. And it took every second of stoppage time — quite literally — for the Catalans to get it done.

The match had all the makings of a thriller before kickoff, and it didn’t disappoint. Barça have historically had the upper hand over Celta in Catalonia, but recent meetings have been far more unpredictable — including that wild 2-2 draw earlier this season where the Blaugrana let a two-goal cushion slip.

Things didn’t look much better early on for Hansi Flick’s men this time around. Ferran Torres opened the scoring with a crisp strike into the far corner after gliding past Marcos Alonso, but Celta hit back instantly. Pablo Durán’s cross caught Barça’s backline napping, and Borja Iglesias had the easiest of finishes into an empty net after Wojciech Szczęsny’s misjudged attempt to intercept.

From there, it was the visitors who looked the sharper of the two. Barcelona’s attacking play was riddled with poor decisions and wasteful finishing, while Szczęsny had to be sharp to keep out a flurry of chances from Ilaix Moriba and Iker Losada. The warning signs were flashing, and eventually the dam burst.

Early in the second half, Iglesias struck again, latching onto a long ball from Yoel Lago and smashing it low past Szczęsny. Minutes later, he had his hat-trick — completing it with a clever finish after the Barça defence fell asleep once more. 3-1 to Celta and Barcelona were staring down the barrel of a brutal home defeat.

But if this team has a superpower, it’s refusing to stay down for long.

Dani Olmo reignited hope with a composed finish after being teed up by Raphinha, and the Brazilian turned scorer shortly after, soaring to meet a Lamine Yamal cross and nodding home the equaliser. Cue pandemonium.

With time running out, the game looked destined for a point apiece. But football had one more twist in the script.

In the 98th minute, Lago’s clumsy challenge on Olmo inside the box was flagged after a lengthy VAR review. Raphinha, oozing composure, stepped up and sent Vicente Guaita the wrong way, completing the comeback and sealing a win that could prove vital in the title race.

For Borja Iglesias, it was a bittersweet night — a hat-trick at the home of the league leaders, but nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Celta’s unbeaten away run comes to a crashing halt, and their European hopes take a hit.

Meanwhile, Barcelona march on. With El Clásico looming in May, every point counts — and this dramatic night in Montjuïc might just be one they look back on as a turning point.