Celta Vigo 1 - Barcelona 0

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Méndez, Cáceres, Juanfran; Giovanella, Luccin, Borja Oubiña (José Ignacio 76'); Edu, Mostovoi (Gustavo López 88'); Milosevic (Ilic 67'). 4-3-2-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Reiziger (Kluivert 66'), Márquez, Oleguer, Van Bronckhorst; Xavi (Luis Enrique 81'), Cocu, Davids; Iniesta (Gabri 46'), Saviola, Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Celta: Cáceres, Giovanella, Edu, Motovoi for Berizzo, Angel, Ilic, Gustavo López / Barça: Márquez for Motta.

Goals:
1-0. 43. Edu. Curled shot past Valdés after Mostovoi laid back Velasco cross.

Barcelona were beaten 1-0 on Saturday evening by a Celta side who were desperate for a win to climb away from the relegation spots. The Catalans had been undefeated for 17 games in a row before this match, but they were pushed around in the first half and could have been behind early on when Edu, Milosevic and Cáceres all wasted chances. Edu though finally found the route to goal just before the break after Mostovoi laid back Velasco's cross, curling a shot wide of Víctor Valdés inside the far post.

For a few minutes Barça woke up, and Ronaldinho tested Cavallero with a long shot. However midway through the second half the Galicians could have gone further ahead when they were awarded a penalty after Oleguer pulled back Edu., but Valdés tipped Luccin's spot kick onto the post.

Let off the hook the visitors came back, with Van Bronckhorst forcing Cavallero into a fingertip save and Saviola failing to take advantage of a clever back-heel by substitute Patrick Kluivert. And only a desperate header from Juanfran stopped a late effort from Saviola from levelling the scores as Frank Rijkaard threw on all his fire power for the last few minutes.

Barcelona had finally been defeated though, and their late challenge for the league title has effectively come to an end. Celta are out of the bottom three for the first time in ten weeks, for 24 hours at least, and the crowd gave the players a standing ovation at the end. It was all too much for Juanfran, who burst into tears kneeling on the pitch. "But we were playing for our lives" he told reporters afterwards.