Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to help Barcelona beat Celta Vigo 4-2 on Sunday in La Liga, cutting Real Madrid’s lead down to three points in the standings. The veteran Polish striker’s treble helped Hansi Flick’s side capitalize on Los Blancos’ 0-0 draw earlier at Rayo Vallecano.
Teenager Lamine Yamal also scored for Barca in another gripping game produced by the champions’ attacking approach, while Marcus Rashford contributed two assists. Frenkie de Jong was sent off late for Barcelona after receiving two yellow cards, but by then, the champions had secured their victory to move into second place.
Lewandowski has had a stop-start beginning to the season due to injury, and Flick said his hat-trick would boost his confidence. “After the injury, I can see a different Robert Lewandowski, he’s positive, he came back very early,” Flick told reporters. “For him, for his confidence, it’s great to score three goals today.”
Lewandowski described the game as “one of the craziest” of the season but expressed satisfaction with the result. “Vigo is always difficult for us, but now we have fewer points between us and Real Madrid,” Lewandowski told Movistar.
Flick insisted Barcelona would not change their style despite some recent struggles, including a 3-3 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday, which led to a wild first half against Celta.
The champions took the lead through a Lewandowski penalty in the 10th minute after a handball, but Celta equalized a minute later. Rashford missed a one-on-one chance, and Celta broke away to score, with Sergio Carreira exploiting Barcelona’s high defensive line.
Missing several injured stars, Flick had called on his team to show more fight in their absence, and Barcelona appeared more energised at Balaidos.
Looking back to his best, Lewandowski grabbed his second goal from an inviting Rashford cross to put Barcelona back in front in the 37th minute. Celta quickly responded again through Borja Iglesias, who smashed home from the edge of the box.
However, Barcelona went into halftime with the lead when Rashford’s deflected cross found teenage star Yamal, who beat Ionut Radu at his near post.
Both teams were more stable in the second half, with Barcelona dominating possession and Celta forced to sit back. Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with a header from Rashford’s corner after 73 minutes to wrap up the win.
It was the striker’s seventh league goal of the season in just four starts, demonstrating that his finishing quality has not diminished at the age of 37.
“We have two weeks to disconnect now, but I hope when we come back we play a lot better. It’s the perfect moment to change things that aren’t working,” said Lewandowski.
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### Real Madrid Frustrated
Earlier on Sunday, La Liga leaders Real Madrid were left frustrated by a goalless draw at Rayo Vallecano, giving champions Barcelona a chance to close in on them.
Rayo battled strongly in the derby clash and, although Real Madrid had the better chances, the hosts had opportunities to win a scrappy game. They managed to limit La Liga’s top scorer Kylian Mbappe’s influence while keeping Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham at bay.
Madrid aimed to bounce back from their UEFA Champions League defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday, but Alonso’s team dropped points for only the second time this season in the league.
“I want to keep growing, improving, with positive and constructive self-criticism. This is Real Madrid, we all know where we are and what we want,” coach Xabi Alonso told reporters. “We’re in November, there’s a long way to go. We need to be demanding of ourselves but also be measured.”
Inigo Perez’s Rayo threatened first when Andrei Ratiu fired straight at Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. After that, Madrid began to take control, but the hosts, sitting mid-table, held firm.
Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla made a fine instinctive save to push away a Vinicius effort, and the hosts effectively starved Madrid superstar Mbappe of the ball. De Frutos and Alvaro Garcia came close for Rayo in the second half, while Bellingham forced Batalla into another good save.
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Barcelona’s win and Real Madrid’s dropped points have tightened the La Liga title race, setting up an exciting remainder of the season.
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