Celta Vigo Ascends LaLiga Table with Close Victory Against Osasuna

RC Celta de Vigo secured a narrow 1-0 victory over CA Osasuna at Estadio de Balaidos, marking their fourth win in their last five outings and bringing an end to Los Rojillos’ five-match unbeaten streak.

Prior to kick-off, a clear message underscoring the importance of respecting match officials was conveyed, particularly following the referee’s treatment during Osasuna’s controversial match against Real Madrid, where they astonishingly earned a point.

Osasuna aimed to build on that momentum and quickly created some chances, with top scorer Ante Budimir notably sending a shot wide after benefiting from a lucky rebound in the penalty area. The Croatian forward continued to cause headaches for Celta’s defenders and nearly forced Hugo Sotelo to deflect a corner into his own goal.

On loan from Bayern Munich, Bryan Zaragoza then missed the target after showcasing his skill to evade a couple of Celta challenges.

Up until then, there had been little for Celta to cheer about offensively, but this changed following Zaragoza’s miss.

Prior to half-time, their best chance was when Borja Iglesias failed to score from a narrow angle against Sergio Herrera, though manager Claudio Giraldez would have been pleased with their improved possession and control as they approached the break.

Soon after the restart, Celta had their clearest opportunity yet, with a long diagonal from Marcos Alonso being controlled by Fer Lopez, who cut in and fired a shot that curled just past Herrera’s outstretched hands.

Despite failing to convert further chances through Iglesias and Williot Swedberg, the introduction of club legend Iago Aspas ultimately shifted the momentum in Celta’s favour.

Aspas’s cross found Iglesias, who was brought down in the box by Jorge Herrando and Lucas Torro, allowing Aspas to calmly convert the penalty into the bottom left corner, delivering his side the lead.

With Osasuna desperate to secure what would have been a remarkable fifth 1-1 draw in their last six matches, they pressed forward in the closing stages. However, the Celta defence held firm, appearing comfortable as they clinched the win.

Osasuna, previously battling for European qualification, now finds themselves even on points with Celta, thanks mainly to the Sky Blues’ impressive haul of 26 points at home, a record that outshines all but two of their La Liga rivals as the weekend’s fixtures approach.