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Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona: Suarez brace not enough as more points dropped

Barça twice led in Vigo before giving up two big points in the title race with Real Madrid

El Barça se quedó a medias en Vigo / | sport
Javier Giraldo

Luis Suarez scored twice but Barcelona dropped points at Celta Vigo on Saturday as they drew 2-2 to risk falling further behind Real Madrid in the title race. 

Suarez opened the scoring with a header from a Lionel Messi free-kick in the first half but Fyodor Smolov leveled things up after the break. 

A second goal of the afternoon for Suarez, again set up by Messi, looked to have set Barça on route to three points but Iago Aspas's 88th-minute free-kick earned a point for the home side. 

Barca are now one point clear of Madrid at the top of the table but could be two points behind if Zinedine Zidane's side win their game in hand at Espanyol on Sunday. 

Next up for Barca is Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Tuesday, while a trip to Villarreal next weekend does not look particularly appetising at the moment, either. 

BALAIDOS BLUES 

Balaidos has not been a happy hunting ground for Barca in recent seasons. They have not won there since 2015 but they looked good in the first half, with youngsters Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati starting. 

Gerard Pique hit the bar after six minutes against a Celta side who had won their last two games but had one eye on the midweek match against Mallorca. 

Barca took a deserved lead when a clever Messi free-kick set up Suarez. Everyone was expecting the shot, but Messi instead chipped the ball to the Uruguayan to bury his 12th league goal of the campaign and his first since knee surgery in January. 

Quique Setien's side could have scored more in the first half but were pegged back after the break. Ivan Rakitic gave the ball away and, with Samuel Umtiti out of position, Celta exploited the space. Okay Yokuslu squared for Smolov to tap in. 

The game was open now but a moment of brilliance from Suarez, spinning and clinically finishing from 15 yards, restored Barca's lead in the 67th minute. 

Marc ter Stegen then made a fine save from Nolito as Barca looked set to seal three important points. 

 

But there was one final twist when a debatable foul was given against Pique and local hero Aspas bent the free-kick low around the wall to earn Celta a point and prolong Barca's winless run at Balaidos.