Barcelona staged a dramatic comeback to edge out Celta Vigo 4-3 in a thrilling La Liga encounter on Saturday, with Raphinha playing the hero’s role by scoring twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, to secure the win after trailing by two goals.
The hard-fought victory maintained Barcelona’s momentum in the title race, temporarily extending their lead over Real Madrid to seven points.
Real, however, has a game in hand as they prepare to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Celta Vigo looked set to stun the Catalans after Borja Iglesias netted a superb hat trick, putting the hosts 3-1 up with just under 30 minutes remaining.
But Dani Olmo reignited Barcelona’s hopes in the 62nd minute, and Raphinha quickly followed with a header off a precise Lamine Yamal delivery just three minutes later.
The match seemed destined for a draw until Olmo was brought down in the box during injury time. Following a VAR check, the referee awarded a penalty, and Raphinha calmly slotted it home to complete the turnaround.
Coach Hansi Flick could not contain his emotion and sprinted onto the pitch to embrace Raphinha as the final whistle blew.
