Barça are excited about the league title thanks to a great Lewandowski

BarcelonaBarça heads into the international break with smiles from ear to ear. The team secured a vital 4-2 victory at Balaídos, putting them just three points behind Real Madrid, taking advantage of the Whites' stumble at Rayo Vallecano (0-0). It was crucial not to slip up at Celta Vigo's ground, a place that has proven difficult for the Blaugrana on numerous occasions. This time, in a match of two halves – a first half of jubilation and chaos, and a second of absolute dominance by the Catalans – it would end happily. Especially for Robert Lewandowski, who would score a hat trick in his return to the starting lineup.

The pace of the first half would be rock'n'roll From almost the first minute. In fact, only three minutes had passed when Celta Vigo found a gap in Barça's defense. The play would eventually be ruled offside against Duran, and in fact, Balde had cleared the ball almost on the goal line. Barça would react to the scare with Lewandowski's first goal. It would be from the penalty spot. A handball by Marcos Alonso, the kind that gets whistled at in the Spanish league after the introduction of VAR, allowed the Polish striker to taste the sweetness of a goal again on a night that would end up dominating the headlines. He didn't take a good shot and Ionut Radu almost saved it, but Barça managed to take the lead.

The initial joy, however, would be short-lived: the team would once again show signs of weakness in defense. From a missed one-on-one by Rashford, the game went almost instantly to a Celta Vigo counter-attack, which Carreira finished off by beating Szczesny. With the score level, Celta managed to put the Blaugrana on edge for a few minutes. Barça needed to regain their composure and get back to attacking. The reward was too tempting: they couldn't afford to squander the opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table. The match descended into a frantic exchange of blows in which the Catalans came close to scoring again in a tightly contested move. Fermín shot first, Rashford connected well with the rebound which struck the post, and from a tight angle, Lewandowski collided with Radu. That action marked the beginning of a revival for Barça, who improved considerably.

Hansi Flick's team managed to neutralize Celta's counter-attacks, pressing better and, consequently, recovering more balls in the opposition's half and eliminating the home side's opportunities to run behind the defense. With more control and more precision, the Blaugrana were able to showcase more talent. This led to the second goal, with a great cross from the left wing that found Lewandowski past Radu. The Pole had a bit of luck, as his first-time shot was straight at the keeper but went in between the Celta goalkeeper's legs.

Retaking the lead seemed to bring some much-needed peace of mind to the Blaugrana, but they were still to suffer a little more. A former Barça player and a former Espanyol player combined to once again deny Flick's team a golden opportunity. A run down the right flank by Ferran Jutglà was enough to catch the defense off guard, and Borja Iglesias, who took a step back to position himself completely unmarked on the edge of the box, unleashed a good shot that Szczesny could have done better to stop. It was time to fight back, time to get back on the scoreboard. Doing so meant finding Rashford, one of Barça's most dynamic attackers. Another assist from the Briton, who this time picked up Lamine Yamal after Ilaix Moriba's pass had been slightly deflected.

Barça put in a great second half

The frenetic pace of the first half, exemplified by a frantic 2-3 scoreline in just 45 minutes, slowed down at halftime. After the break, Barça traded the "fighting spirit" that Hansi Flick had called for beforehand – and after the painful draw in Bruges – for control. With the score in their favor, slowing the pace was much more advantageous for the Blaugrana, who this time were able to neutralize their opponent by maintaining possession. Barça enjoyed themselves, keeping possession, dominating, playing cautiously with their passes, wearing down their opponent, and above all, remaining untroubled in defense. The second half belonged entirely to Barça, who played some of their best football of the season and capped it off with a fourth goal.

The protagonists would strike again, this time from a set piece. Rashford's corner kick was met by a Lewandowski header, a stunning strike that helps explain why he's considered one of the best strikers of the last decade in Europe. The goal was well-deserved – Lamine Yamal could have made it five, but his shot hit the post. Barça left Balaídos happy, reconnecting with La Liga and their style of play. Everyone except De Jong, who would be sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the final minute.