Barcelona 5-0 Celta Vigo (6-1 aggregate): 5 talking points
Final Score: Barcelona 5-0 Celta Vigo (6-1 aggregate)
Goals: Lionel Messi 13', 15', Jordi Alba 28', Luis Suarez 31', Ivan Rakitic 87'
Messi & Co. put in a stunning show at the Camp Nou to knock out Celta Vigo from the Copa del Rey 2017/18. After a disappointing 1-1 draw at the Estadio de Balaidos, Valverde’s men put in an eye-catching display in front of their home fans.
Ernesto Valverde recalled his big guns for the second leg as Messi, Suárez, and Iniesta were named in the starting 11. Unzue made six changes to the team that drew 2-2 against Real Madrid in the weekend.
Lionel Messi was the star of the show, as he struck twice within the first 15 minutes of the game. Alba made it 3-0 at the half-hour mark and Suarez added the fourth before the halftime. It finished 5-0 at the final whistle as Celta could not recover from an early shock and lost the tie 6-1 on aggregate.
On that note, let’s take a look at the key talking points from the game.
#5 Celta Vigo lost the plot in the first half
Barcelona started the game on the front foot and never took the foot off the pedal in the first half. Celta Vigo was pinned down at the back for most of the first half by the free-flowing Barcelona side.
Daniel Wass and Hugo Malla struggled to keep up with the pace of Jordi Alba and succumbed under pressure. The first Barcelona goal was a result of poor goalkeeping by Alvarez while the second was a fine team goal.
The speed of Barcelona's attack caught the visitors off guard, especially Sergi Gomez and Fontas. The centre-back pairing of Celta Vigo had a horrific night at the Camp Nou. They were all over the place at the back, allowing Barcelona to break them on a consistent basis.
Pione Sisto gifted a goal to Luis Suarez as his attempted back pass to Alvarez was intercepted by the Uruguayan. The game virtually got over in the first 31 minutes.