Barcelona moved a step closer to winning La Liga with a tight 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday, but lost goalscorer Lamine Yamal to an apparent hamstring injury.
The teenage Spain star won and converted a penalty in a narrow victory, but hurt himself taking it and was replaced before half-time.
Joao Cancelo also went off injured for a Barca team that was nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table with six games remaining, including a Clásico on May 10.
Hansi Flick’s team, playing for the first time since being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid last week, lacked the usual attacking power.
Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia saved well from Pablo Duran and Ferran Jutgla in the opening substitution at Camp Nou.
With little between the teams, it came down to Yamal’s footwork to help Barca open the door.
The forward jumped into the penalty area, exchanged passes with Dani Olmo and was felled by Yoel Lago as he tried to avoid the Celta defender.
Yamal beat Ionut Radu with a low penalty, with the goalkeeper diving in the right direction.
However, he immediately retired injured, requested treatment and lay down on the turf as his teammates came over to celebrate.
The match was postponed for over fifteen minutes due to a medical incident in the stands at the same time, and when Celta were back at kick-off, Yamal had been replaced by Roony Bardghji.
Barca battled through the second half without creating much until Ferran Torres volleyed home a volley from Pedri’s pass.
The Catalans’ joy was short-lived, however, as the goal was disallowed due to a marginal offside against the Spanish attacker.
Former Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso smashed a free-kick into the wall as the hosts held on to claim three potentially crucial points.
Another defeat for Atletico
Atletico Madrid lost 2-3 at modest Elche, their seventh defeat in the last eight games in all competitions.
The Champions League semi-finalists, who host Arsenal in Europe next Wednesday, were unable to recover from their Copa del Rey final defeat after Real Sociedad penalties last weekend to build morale.
Diego Simeone’s side are comfortable in fourth place in La Liga and the coach mainly played as a reserve side to rest his star title after the grueling cup final.
Nicolas Gonzalez struck twice for the visiting side, but Elche won with a brace from Andre Silva and a goal from David Affengruber, boosting their survival hopes.
Argentina winger Gonzalez opened the scoring after Rodri Mendoza punched the ball towards him on the edge of the penalty area.
Elche leveled when Affengruber poked past Jan Oblak, with the defender playing a key role in his team’s next goal.
Atletico played with ten men for an hour after Thiago Almada was sent off in the 30th minute for pulling Affengruber back inside the penalty area.
Silva sent Oblak the wrong way from the spot to give the hosts the lead, but Atletico leveled almost immediately through a brilliant effort from Gonzalez.
The winger just managed to keep the ball in, lifted it over Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro and headed home.
Silva sealed the win for Elche with 15 minutes remaining, firing home from close range to put his team provisionally into 15th place, two points above the drop zone.
«The defeat is painful, the ten remaining men gave everything to keep taking points,» said Simeone DAZN. “All responsibility (for losing) is on me as a coach.”
Published on April 23, 2026
