Barcelona narrowly defeat Celta, though victory comes at cost as key player Yamal suffers setback

Barcelona's French defender #23 Jules Kounde and Dutch midfielder #21 Frenkie De Jong shared a moment of celebration at the end of the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RC Celta de Vigo at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 22, 2026.

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Barcelona edged closer to claiming the La Liga title with a narrow 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, but the victory came at a cost as goalscorer Lamine Yamal suffered an apparent hamstring injury.

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Yamal, the teenage Spain star, won and converted a penalty to secure the win, but his celebration was cut short as he hurt himself in the process and was substituted before half-time, with Joao Cancelo also exiting the game due to injury.

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Barcelona's victory propelled them nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table, with six matches remaining, including a highly anticipated Clasico on May 10, and midfielder Pedri emphasized the importance of winning every game to seal the title as soon as possible.

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Pedri expressed his hopes for a speedy recovery for Lamine Yamal, stating that he wishes him the best of luck and that the young player should remain calm, as he is likely to recover well from the injury, with further tests scheduled for the following day.

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Hansi Flick's side, competing for the first time since their Champions League quarter-final elimination by Atletico Madrid, lacked their usual attacking spark, and it was down to Lamine Yamal's quick footwork to create the decisive moment in the game.

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Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia made crucial saves from Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla in the early stages of the match at Camp Nou, setting the tone for a closely contested encounter.

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The turning point came when Yamal exchanged passes with Dani Olmo, skipped into the box, and was brought down by Yoel Lago, resulting in a penalty that Yamal converted with a low shot, despite Ionut Radu diving the right way.

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However, Yamal's injury led to a delay in the game, and by the time Celta Vigo restarted, he had been replaced by Roony Bardghji, with the match resuming after a 15-minute delay due to a medical incident in the stands.

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In the second half, Ferran Torres thought he had scored with a volley from Pedri's pass, but his goal was disallowed due to a marginal offside call, leaving Barcelona to battle on and claim a narrow 1-0 win.

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Former Barca defender Marcos Alonso smashed a free-kick into the wall as the hosts held on to claim three vital points, while defeat left Celta Vigo seventh, still hoping to qualify for European football next season.

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Celta Vigo's Ferran Jutgla acknowledged that his team had performed well in the first half, creating chances, but ultimately, individual talent made the difference, and he emphasized that La Liga is highly competitive, with his team determined to fight until the end.

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Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid suffered a 3-2 defeat at lowly Elche, their seventh loss in their last eight matches across all competitions, as they struggled to bounce back from their Copa del Rey final defeat on penalties by Real Sociedad.

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Diego Simeone's side, who host Arsenal next Wednesday in the Champions League, played with a mostly reserve team, resting their star names after the draining cup final, and although Nicolas Gonzalez struck twice for the visitors, Elche prevailed with a brace from Andre Silva and a goal from David Affengruber.

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Argentina winger Gonzalez opened the scoring with a shot on the edge of the box, but Elche equalized through Affengruber, who then played a crucial role in his team's next goal, which was scored by Silva from the spot after Thiago Almada was dismissed for pulling back Affengruber inside the area.

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Gonzalez levelled the score with a superb effort, but Silva sealed the win for Elche with 15 minutes remaining, blasting home from close range to take his team provisionally 15th, two points above the drop zone.

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Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone took full responsibility for the defeat, stating that the 10 men left on the field gave everything to try and pick up points, but ultimately fell short.