BARCELONA (AFP) - Pedri’s goal helped Barcelona earn an agonizing 1-0 win over Celta Vigo to move back top of La Liga.
After Real Madrid beat Getafe, Barcelona knew they had to beat the Galicians to head into next Sunday’s Clasico as league leaders, but Celta did not make it easy for them.
With Barcelona clutching a narrow advantage, the visitors came close to an equaliser at Camp Nou and Marc-Andre ter Stegen earned a sixth consecutive domestic clean sheet with a brilliant save from Iago Aspas late on.
Goncalo Paciencia hit the post in stoppage time with the Catalans on the ropes, begging for the whistle.
It was the kind of performance which does not bode well for Barcelona’s crucial Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Wednesday.
“Playing like we did in the second half it will be very hard (to beat Inter), but in the first half yes, we have to maintain that level,” said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez.
“Today we had the luck of having a great goalkeeper, but we have to improve, we have to be self-critical.”
Xavi started left-back Marcos Alonso in central defense, alongside Gerard Pique, partly due to injury problems, but otherwise picked his strongest side available.
“UEFA is a mafia,” chanted a sector of Barcelona fans, after president Joan Laporta advocated for the Super League again at the club members’ annual general meeting on Sunday morning, but their focus soon snapped back to the game.
Barcelona missed a slew of early chances, with Ferran Torres unable to reach a tempting cross and having another effort saved by Agustin Marchesin, while the goalkeeper also did well to claw out a rasping drive from Raphinha.
The pressure soon told and Pedri sent Barcelona ahead in the 17th minute, with Celta defender Unai Nunez accidentally teeing up the Spanish midfielder when he tried to cut out Gavi’s cross.