Robert Lewandowski’s hat trick guided Barcelona to a 4–2 win against Celta Vigo to go into the November international break on a high.
A thrilling five-goal first half tested Barcelona’s resolve. Lewandowski’s first two goals were countered by Celta Vigo’s Sergio Carreira and Borja Iglesias scoring goals of their own. Lamine Yamal was able to add Barça’s third just before the break.
Hansi Flick’s side were vastly superior and dominated the second half. Lewandowski bagged his hat trick with less than 20 minutes to go to avoid any kind of nerves from setting in late in the game.
It’s only Barça’s third victory at the Estadio Abanca-Balaídos in the past decade, but one that was badly needed after Real Madrid dropped points earlier in the day. The Catalans are now just three points behind Los Blancos atop the La Liga standings.
FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal is finding his best form. / Bruno Penas/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—6.0: He once again failed to inspire much confidence between the sticks. His reactions and athleticism appear to have taken a hit this term.
RB: Eric García—7.3: García thrived playing as a right back, making key defensive interventions and looking sharp in possession.
CB: Ronald Araújo—7.0: It was a good game from Araújo. His aggressiveness helped Barcelona recover the ball plenty of times and was solid on the ball, misplacing just three of his 74 passes.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—6.9: The teenager had crucial defensive interventions to prevent clear chances. However, he continues to struggle with the high line, constantly playing opponents onside.
LB: Alejandro Balde—7.4: Like Cubarsí, Balde’s woes playing opponents onside continue. Still, he had a positive influence in Barça’s attack.
DM: Frenkie de Jong—6.9: De Jong took over the game in the second half. His quality on the ball allowed Barcelona to dominate with long and sustained possessions. However, his unnecessary late red card could prove costly.
CM: Dani Olmo—7.8: Olmo had one of his best performances of the season playing in Pedri’s usual role. He orchestrated Barcelona’s attack from the middle of the pitch.
AM: Fermín López—7.2: The La Masia graduate was uncharacteristically careless in possession on a number of occasions. Nevertheless, his high energy and tireless pressing led to a number of dangerous chances.
RW: Lamine Yamal—8.5: It was a fine showing from Yamal. Although it wasn’t his most brilliant performance, he flashed his quality and scored his fourth league goal of the term.
LW: Marcus Rashford—9: Although his clear miss led directly to a goal, Rashford looked dangerous all night and picked up a pair of assists.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—9.6: The Pole was sensational in his first start in over a month. He was at his lethal best and scored his first hat trick of the season.
Substitutes Rating (Out of 10)
Andreas Christensen (86’ for Olmo) N/A
Gerard Martín (86’ for Balde) N/A
Ferran Torres (87’ for Rashford) N/A
Marc Bernal (90’ for Yamal) N/A
Subs not used : Diego Kochen (GK), Eder Aller (GK), Xavi Espart, Dro Fernández, Marc Casadó, Roony Bardghji.
Celta Vigo (3-4-3):
Starting XI : Ionuț Andrei Radu; Manu Fernández, Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso; Oscar Mingueza, Hugo Sotelo, Ilaix Moriba, Sergio Carreira; Ferrán Jutglà, Borja Iglesias, Pablo Durán.
Subs used : Javi Rodríguez, Bryan Zaragoza, Iago Aspas, Miguel Román, Jones El-Abdellaoui.
Player of the Match: Robert Lewandowski
Mr. Goalski strikes again 💥 pic.twitter.com/7E7KthkTPh
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 9, 2025
It was a positive start for Barcelona and their early dominance was rewarded by scoring the game’s opener inside of 10 minutes. Marcos Alonso blocked a Yamal shot with his hand inside the penalty area, and match referee Javier Arbeloa pointed to the spot after a quick VAR review.
Lewandowski stepped up and dispatched the penalty to score his fifth La Liga goal of the term, his first since late September.
A minute later, Marcus Rashford had a golden opportunity to double Barça’s lead but squandered his chance through on goal. The resulting action saw Celta Vigo play past Barcelona’s high defensive line. Carreira went through on goal and fired a shot past Wojciech Szczęsny to bring the hosts level in a frenetic start to the match.
Barcelona slowly regained control and began increasing the pressure on Celta’s defense. Finally, Rashford picked out a lovely cross that Lewandowski tucked in on the volley to secure his brace and restore Barça’s lead.
RASHFORD TO LEWANDOWSKI TO PUT BARCA BACK IN THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/9YhgxjJDRj
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 9, 2025
When Barcelona appeared in full control, Iglesias scored a cracking goal from outside the penalty area to bring Celta level on the brink of halftime.
But Flick’s men refused to go down the tunnel without the lead. Rashford got away from his man and sent in a dangerous cross. A deflection saw the ball fall perfectly for Yamal to hit a powerful weak-foot shot that overpowered Ionuț Andrei Radu, giving Barcelona the advantage just before the break.
The frenetic rhythm that defined the first half compromised the hosts. Celta players looked exhausted in the second half and Barcelona took advantage by taking full control of the game by monopolizing possession of the ball.
In the 73rd minute, Barcelona landed the knockout punch. Rashford sent in a corner and Lewandowski perfectly placed his header to complete his hat trick and give the Catalans a two-goal advantage.
Yamal had a clear chance to score Barça’s fifth late in the game, but he hit the post after going through on goal. Frenkie de Jong was sent off just seconds before the final whistle blew, adding a stain to an otherwise stellar victory.
Statistic Celta Vigo Barcelona
Possession 36% 64%
Expected Goals (xG) 0.56 2.69
Total Shots 5 14
Shots on Target 3 8
Big Chances 1 2
Pass Accuracy 85% 92%
Fouls 5 3
Corners 0 2
Statistic Celta Vigo Barcelona
Possession 38% 62%
Expected Goals (xG) 0.58 3.18
Total Shots 5 21
Shots on Target 3 9
Big Chances 1 5
Pass Accuracy 84% 90%
Fouls 13 10
Corners 2 5
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE