La Liga 2016/17: Celta Vigo 4-3 Barcelona - 5 Talking Points
After Real’s fourth consecutive draw in 4 games (including 3 draws in 3 La Liga games), Barcelona had the chance to go one point ahead of Real Madrid in the standings this week, away against Celta Vigo.
However, In a shock result, Celta Vigo managed to hold Barcelona down to three goals in the second half, in what was perhaps the most exciting game of the La Liga season so far, after taking a 3-0 lead to the dressing room at half-time.
Pione Sisto struck first for the hosts, placing a low shot into ter Stegen’s lower right-hand post. Iago Aspas doubled the advantage in the 31st minute from a counter attack, running at Pique and Busquets from the half court and finishing emphatically past the Barca custodian.
Two became three in a short while as miscommunication between Mathieu and ter Stegen caused the Frenchman to turn a sumptuous cross past the German into his own net.
The result leaves Barcelona 4th on the table, two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
Here are 5 talking points from the game:
#1 ter Stegen’s bad form
In one of the worst performances in a Barcelona shirt, ter Stegen gifted Celta Vigo the points this weekend with a number of errors. Throughout the game, the German custodian was clumsy in dealing with the ball and put his defence under pressure.
The first Celta goal came after a weak clearance by ter Stegen, which was miscontrolled by Busquets, whose dispossession started the sequence leading to the goal.
ter Stegen was directly culpable for conceding Barca’s fourth goal of the evening, as his attempted clearance from his own goalmouth ended up in his net in the 78th minute. Failing to notice the onrushing Pablo Hernandez, ter Stegen tried a lofted pass to his left-back that Hernandez blocked.
The ball ricocheted off Hernandez’s head onto ter Stegen’s far post and into the goal, in one of the most comical goals conceded.