Barcelona faced a very important match this Saturday against Celta de Vigo, with the aim of continuing as the outstanding leader of LaLiga, and he did it with the great absence of Lamine Yamal.
The young Barça player suffered some discomfort that prevented him from being called up for the Spanish team, but he has not been able to make progress with his recovery and Hansi Flick confirmed at a press conference that he would not travel to Vigo to play the match.
Despite the loss of Lamine, the German coach was able to count on a great starting eleven with players like Dani Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha and Lewandowski. Team to which Gavi returned after 382 days.
Flick's eleven that also featured the surprise of Gerard Martín and was the next: Iñaki Peña; Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo Martínez, Gerard Martín; Casado, Pedri, Dani Olmo; Gavi, Raphinha and Lewandowski.
VERY INTENSE FIRST PART
Both teams took to the field for victory. The game was very intense in the first minutes and Raphinhaafter the first quarter of an hour, He made the score 0-1 after taking advantage of a great long pass from Koundé, and the mistake of Mingueza who was unable to clear the ball.
Celta came forward in search of an equalizer, took possession of the ball and subdued Barcelona for the next few minutes. And Giráldez's men were able to tie the game with a long shot from Ilaix Moriba, which almost surprised Iñaki Peña.
CONTROVERSY
It was minute 28 of the first half when IAug Aspas received the ball after starting the race on the halfway line.
The Celta captain faced the goal alone Iñaki Peñawhen from behind Gerard Martín, the great novelty in Flick's team, and the culé youth player pushes Aspas who goes to the ground.
The referee Soto Grado did not signal a penalty, thus causing anger in the Balaídos stadium and the Vigo coaching staff. The VAR did not call him to rectify either, and therefore, there was no maximum penalty in favor of Celta.
Gerard Martín's takedown of Iago Aspas
For Pedro Martín, referee specialist for Tiempo de Juego, this play was to have signaled a penalty: “There is a push.”
Together with the director of the program, Paco González, they did analyze that in that action Aspas “carries the ball a little to one side” and that “if he continues driving with his right leg, they will whistle for it.”
For Pedro Martín, “Aspas's action has given him a small justification”, but “for me it is a penalty.”
In that play there was also talk of a possible expulsion of Gerard Martín since he had a yellow card after the first minutes of the match.: “Then you have to interpret if he was in the fight for the ball. Those plays would seem yellow to me at most.”
IAGO ASPAS AND GERARD MARTÍN
Both were protagonists of another controversial play at the end of the first half. Gerard Martín knocked down Aspas, earning the second yellow card. Soto Grado decided to just mark the foul, without getting the second yellow card. In the following audio you can hear how we experienced this action in Tiempo de Juego with the narration of Manolo Oliveros, Helena Condis and Santi Peón from the Celta fiefdom.
Another action that provoked the anger of Claudio Giráldez's coaching staff and Aspas himself, who ended up receiving a yellow card due to the protests.
Once the first half was over, Aspas went to speak precisely with Gerard Martín about this play. A Gerard Martín who was replaced at half-time by Héctor Fort.
