Jutglá is congratulated by Fer López after scoring the first goal yesterday. | MARTA G.BREA
Balaídos has been a goldmine for La Liga teams languishing at the bottom of the table. Levante was no exception, following in the footsteps of Oviedo, Alavés, and Espanyol. Yesterday, they walked away with all three points after taking the lead twice, thanks to a double from Ferran Jutglà that ultimately proved futile—much like his brace against Alavés, another side fighting for survival that left Vigo victorious. Despite this setback, Giráldez’s team remains in sixth place, though they have handed another lifeline to rivals chasing European spots. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, the Vigo side will head to San Mamés needing points, hoping that their final home match against Sevilla doesn’t turn Balaídos into the stadium that gave away the most points this season.
A Promising Start
The match began brilliantly for Celta. Within ten minutes, they had created as many scoring chances as they did against Atlético Madrid. Fer López could have opened the scoring after Rueda’s steal and Aspas’s pass set up the youngster one-on-one with Ryan, but the goalkeeper saved the shot. Then, in the 4th minute, Jutglà found the net, finishing a quick triangle with Carreira and Hugo Álvarez by cutting inside his marker and curling the ball into the far post.
A Step Back
With Aspas, Jutglà, and Hugo Álvarez leading the attack, Celta abandoned their press on the opponent’s buildup. Levante used long possessions to pin the Celestes back in their own area. Giráldez’s men defended in a low block against a side looking for Carlos Espí’s head and long-range shots. The equalizer came in the 43rd minute. Arriaga collected the ball 20 meters from Radu’s goal and fired a powerful, central shot. Radu tried to punch it clear but ended up pushing it into his own net. Spotting the goalkeeper’s struggles with long-range efforts, Arriaga tried again just before halftime, but this time the ball missed the target.
Jutglà’s Third Double
After the break, Celta quickly caught Levante’s defense off guard with a classic move from Giráldez’s playbook. Fer López fed Rueda on the run, and the Malaga-born player sent a low cross to the left flank, where Jutglà arrived to score his ninth league goal and third double of the season. But just like his previous brace at Balaídos against Alavés, the sky-blue team failed to capitalize on their striker’s gift.
Gifting Opportunities to the Opponent
Levante, who came to Vigo desperate for a win to avoid relegation—sitting second from bottom with 36 points—responded quickly to Celta’s second goal. Once again, they exploited the low block to attempt long-range shots. This time, defender Dela struck from outside the box, sending the ball into the top corner of Radu’s goal. The Romanian goalkeeper had no chance to prevent the equalizer.
The Weight of Necessity
Levante needed nothing less than a win to escape the drop zone. Celta, with a five-point cushion over seventh place, had less urgency. In this scenario, the blue-and-garnet side pushed for victory against a Celta that handed them a goal from a corner kick. Brugué, one of the shortest players on the pitch, headed in the corner with no resistance from Celta’s defense, who had done well until then. In the 63rd minute, they allowed Levante to turn the score around.
A Point from the Bottom Five
This latest defeat makes Celta the second-worst home team in La Liga. Against the bottom five sides, they have managed just one point—the one taken by Girona. Meanwhile, Espanyol, Alavés, Levante, and already-relegated Oviedo all found Balaídos to be an oasis to heal their wounds in the standings.
