Despite a bright, almost bombastic start from Xavi’s side, the Blaugrana gradually faded once again in defence of an early lead, ultimately escaping with all three points intact.
A week on from a similar performance against Mallorca, questions may be lingering about Barca’s prowess, even as they sit top of the table.
Yet after the sting of a Champions League loss to Inter in midweek, the Catalans were at least back to winning ways, while Celta were left to rue their difficulty in securing a draw.
A dominant start from Barcelona hinted at a blowout scoreline, and Pedri’s poacher’s finish amid defensive disarray in the 17th minute certainly whet the appetite.
But a subsequent struggle to find a second goal before the break did little to dispel a nervous air around Camp Nou, especially with just under a dozen chances otherwise squandered by the hosts.
That gnawing unease manifested itself in a markedly scratchier start to the second half, during which Celta gradually began to impose more of a threat.
Such pressure seemed to tell when Jorgen Strand Larsen headed home with 20 minutes left, but the offside flag spared Barca’s blushes, and from there they held on all the way for a less-than-convincing result.
What does it mean? Barca bounce back, but only just
With a flurry of early chances and spearheaded by the dynamic signings of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, Barca looked every inch the side capable of inflicting a statement result.
But after the interval, they retreated into their shell and became gradually restrictive. Raphinha was replaced after an hour by Ousmane Dembele, and Xavi may count his lucky stars to have dodged a draw in this one.
Gavi muscles up
It was youngster Gavi’s cross from the left that did the legwork for Pedri’s close-range finish earlier on – and it was his willingness to get stuck in that helped him stand out.
With 15 duels throughout, no other Barca player got into the thick of one-to-one battles as much as the teenager, even if he won just seven of those.
Celta fall short at the last
After a first half that effectively saw them buttoned up, the visitors had to cut loose to chase the game after the interval, and Barca’s anaemic approach opened the door to do so.
Celta had 14 goal attempts by the end, a dozen alone in the second half. Barcelona had 13 shots across the 90 minutes. This loss will perhaps be a bitter pill for Celta to swallow.
What’s next?
Barcelona return to Champions League action with their reverse fixture against Inter on Wednesday. Celta must wait until Sunday for their next game, hosting Real Sociedad in LaLiga.
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