RC Celta de Vigo achieved a historic milestone by securing their first-ever victory on French soil, advancing to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League after a decisive 2-0 win against Olympique Lyonnais, concluding the tie 3-1 on aggregate.
In a thrilling encounter at Lyon’s home ground, Celta de Vigo showcased their resilience by capitalizing on an early advantage. Just a minute into the match, an appeal for a penalty was dismissed when Javi Rueda fell in the area following a challenge from Nicolas Tagliafico, with referee Irfan Peljto opting to let play continue.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Both teams initially struggled to find their rhythm, with the first quarter of an hour passing without a single shot on target. However, an opportunity arose for Roman Yaremchuk, who was unable to convert a potentially dangerous cross from Endrick due to a misstep.
Lyon’s fortunes changed dramatically in the 19th minute when Rueda was fouled again, this time leading to a straight red card for Moussa Niakhate, leaving Lyon with ten men.
Celta quickly sought to exploit their numerical advantage. Pablo Duran fired a shot from a tight angle shortly after, and Williot Swedberg’s attempt from 10 yards was thwarted by Lyon’s goalkeeper, Dominik Greif. In the closing moments of the half, Fer Lopez made an impressive dribble but once again found Greif in his path.
That strong defensive performance allowed Lyon to reach the break level, and having preserved their unbeaten home record in the Europa League, they remained hopeful as the match progressed. The second half continued similarly, with Endrick’s ambitious free-kick sailing over the crossbar and Sergio Carreira’s follow-up attempt saved by Greif again.
However, the deadlock was finally broken in the 61st minute when Carreira shielded the ball admirably and squared it across the six-yard box. A deflection redirected the pass away from Iago Aspas, but Rueda was perfectly positioned to bundle the ball into the net.
A golden opportunity for Celta to cement their dominance came just moments later when Rueda found himself through on goal but hesitated, missing the chance to square for a teammate or take a shot.
As the match approached its finale, Lyon pressed for an equalizer, but the best they managed was a weak header from Corentin Tolisso that posed little threat to Celta’s goalkeeper, Ionut Radu. Celta sealed their victory in stoppage time when Ferran Jutgla coolly slotted home, sending their supporters into jubilation.
With this win, Celta de Vigo now stands one round away from equaling their best ever performance in the Europa League. For Lyon, the defeat marked their seventh consecutive game without a victory across all competitions, a concern for the club as the season advances.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Javi Rueda (Celta Vigo)
Click here for more on the match.
